THE INSTITUTIO. 



Society of The Cincinn 



ORDIXrVMCBS, PRECWDaNTS, 




STANDING RESOLUTIONS 



GENERAL SOCIETY OFTHE CINCINNATI. 




irss-iQOo. 




\ 
\ 



\ 
\ 



,,T SERVARE 



'^Vs 



.t*^"^ 




fsN^M 



W^m 



1783- 



THE INSTITUTION 



Society of The Cincinnati, 



ORDIXANCES AND PRECEDENTS OF THE GENERAL 

SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI, CONSTRUING 

AND INTERPRETING THE INSTITUTION 

OR ENFORCING ITS PROVISIONS, 



TOGETHE!{ WITH EXI^'llNU 



RULES OF PROCEDURE AND STANDING RESOLUTIONS. 

iiY 

ASA BIRD GARDINER, LL.D., LTI.D., Htt.ft.. 

SECRETARY GENERAL, 



4tli Revised Edition priuted for use of the Triemiia! Meetiug of the Genenil 
Sociu'ty at Richmoud, Va., 10 May, 1905. 



7-0' 






UBMRYofCONeRESs'l 
Two Copies Recelwd 

DEC 30 1905 

CoD»richl Entry 
jJjtA.ia. /90S' 
CLASS O. XXc. No. 

/s ¥jd r 

COPY B. 



CoI'VltlGHT, VMo. KV AhA lilUI) (^ARIJIXKH. 

■itcrelurij (ienerai. 



Note.— Till- tiix etlition wa 5 primed for ujc of the Trieriuial niceliii.;; of the Giiierai 
Socitty of May, 18S4, the .second edilion iu 1^85, and the third edition in Isitti. 



THE INSTITUTION 



OF THE 



Society of the Cincinnati 



Cantonmekt of the American Ainiv. ox Hudson's Rivek, 10th (..„,jp^„,,-,/« 

May, 1783. oflOth yfay, 

1783, to in- 

Proi'Osals* for establishing a Hociftv, iipnn priiiriples therein men- [tf^*'"^'!*'''* 
tioiied, Avhose Members shall be officers of the American Army, having 
been communicated to the several regiments of the respective lines, they 
appointed an officer from each, who, in conjunction with the general 
officers, should take tlie same into consideration at their meeting this 
day, at which the lIonoral)le Major (texekat. Barox de Steubex-^, 
the senior officer pre.-t nt, wa.s pleased to ju'eside.f 

The proposals lieing read, fully considered, juiragrapli Ijy para- 
graph, and the amendments agreed to. Major Gexe!;al Kxox, P)Rioa- 
DiEE General Hand, Brigadier Gexeral Huxtixgton and Gaptain 
Shaw, were chosen to re\'ise the same, and prepare a copy to be laid 
before this assembly at their next meeting, to be holden at Major Gex- 
erae Baron de Steurex's qviarters, on Tuesday, tlie l.'ltli instant. 

Tuesday, Iotii ]\[ay, 1783. 
Tlu> re)3resentatives of the American Armv being assembledi agree- ,, . 

• . . ' . , All'litthU ot 

ably to adjourmnent, the plan for establishing a Society, whereof the \^th May, 

. ^ 17S3. 



*These " Proposals " were in the handwriting of Major-General Henry Knox, Chief of 
Artillery and Commandant of West Point and its dependencies, and are dated " West Point. 
15th April, 1783." 

fThe meeting to consider and act on them was held in the " Public Building." sometimes 
called the New Building or Temple, which had been erected for Chaplaincy services and other 
public purposes at the Cantonments of the Main Continental Army at New Windsor, on the 
west side ot the Hudson, near Newburgh. in the State of New York. Baron de Steuben's 
quarters were at the Verplanck Mansion, near Fishkill. on the east side of Hudson river. 

JThis representation included all the Continental General Officers in the Cantonments, 
other than Brigadier General John Stark, and delegates respectively from the Continental 
Staff Corps of the Adjutant General's. Quartermaster General's. Commissary General's. 
Surgeon General's and Clothier General's Departments. Continental Corps of Engineers and 
Sappers and Miners. Second and Third Regiments Continental Corps of Artillery. Continental 
Cavalry and Artillery Artificers and Continental Canadian and Invalid Regiments, and from 
the much reduced Continental lines of infantry then in camp, viz.: eight regiments from 
Massachusetts, three from Connecticut, two from New York, one regiment and a battalion 
of four companies from New Jersey, and four companies from Maryland. 

The First Regiment. New Hampshire Continental Infantry, and the Second Regiment of 
the same, then reduced to a battalion of four companies, although stationed in the canton- 
ments, were not represented in the meetings of 10th-I3th May. 1783. 

The regiment of Rhode Island Continental Infantry was then on duty at Saratoga Bar- 
racks, on the upper Hudson River, at Schuylerville, N. Y.. while the Continental llne-g of 
infantry of the other States were in the Southern or Western Military Departmenrs. 



ObjeetH of 
thf Order 



officerri uf iIk' Aiaericiiu Annv arc lu he Meiiibers, is accepted^ and id 
as follows, viz. : 

" It having ])lfa.st'(i the ^^uinvrne Governor of the Universe, in the 
disposition of huiiuin aftiirs, to eause the separation of the colonies of 
Xorili Aiurrica from ihe d<tniinalion ol' Great Britain, and, after a 
bloody conllict of eiiilit years, to establish them free, independent and 
sovereign States, connected, by alliances fonuded on reciprocal advan- 
tage, with some of the great princes and powers of the earth. 

" To ]>erpetnatc, therefore, as well the i"emend)rancc of this vase 
event, as the mutual friendshi])s wliich have been formed under the 
pressure of connnon danger, and, in many instances, cemented by the 
blood of the parties, the officers of the American Army do hereby, in the 
most solemn manner, associate, constitute and combine themselves into 
HerediUxry one SociETY OF Fkie^'ds, to endure as long as they shall endure, or any 
mcves^ion. ^£ j^^pj^. ^^^^^ ^^^.^j^ posterity," and, in failure thereof, the collateral 
branchesf \\\u\ may be judged worthy of becoming its snpporters and 
^[embers. 

" The officers of the American Army having generally been taken 
Irr.m the citizens of America, possess high veneration for the character 
of iliai ilhi-trious lv«>man. Lrcius Quixtus Cixcixxatus; and being 
resolved to follow his example, by returning to their citizenship, they 
think they may M-ith propriety denominate themselves — 



Name of tie 
Order, ' 



*At the time the provision was adopted confining hereditary membership to " any of their 
" eldest male poxtcrili/. and. in failure thereof, the collateral branches who may be judged 
" worthy." the law of England as to primogeniture prevailed in the original thirteen States, 
and it was deemed that the one who inherited the family estate, and. therefore, remained at 
home, would best be able to give effect to the national patriotic and benevolent objects of the 
Institution, 

The law of primogeniture, as stated by Blackstone (Book II., Chap. 14), was as follows: 

" I.— A general rule or canon is, that the male issue shall be admitted before the 
" female. 

*' II.— Where there are two or more males, in equal degree, the eldest only shall 
" inherit; but the females all together. 

" III.— The lineal descendants, in infniitiim, of any person deceased shall represent 
" their ancestor: that is, shall stand in the same place as the person himself would 
" have done, bad he been living. 

" Thus the child, grandchild or great-grandchild (either male or female) of the 
" eldest son succeeds before the younger son. and so iu infinitum. 

" IV.— On failure of lineal descendants, or issue, of the person last seized, the 
" inheritance shall descend to his collateral relations, being of the blood of the first 
" purchaser; subject to the three preceding rules. 

" v.— The collateral heir of the person last seized must he his next collateral kins- 
" man of the whole blood. 

" Firtit. he must be his next collateral kinsman, either personally or jure rcprcsrn- 
" ttitionis: which proximity is reckoned according to the canonical degrees nf consau- 
" guinity before mentioned. * * The issue or descendants, therefore, of John Stiles* 
" brother are all of them in the first degree of kindred with respect to inheritances. 
" those of his uncle in the second, those of his great-uncle in the third: as their re- 
" spectivo ancestors, if living, would have been: and are severallv called to the suc- 
** cession in right of such, their representative proximity. * * Thus, if John Stiles 
" dies without issue, his estate shall descend to Francis, his brother, or his representa- 
" tives: he being lineally descended from Geoffrey Stiles. John's next immediate ances- 
" tor, or father." 
These rules of primogeniture were modified by the Institution of the Cincinnati, under the 
limitation clause of " eldest male posterity," so that every male descendant of an Original 
Member should be entitled to preference in succession and as next of kin over any male de- 
scendant through an intervening female descendant. In other words, male descendants of the 
surname of the Original Member should be preferred over male descendants through inter- 
mediate females whose surnames were different. 

tThe words: ** and in failure thereof, the collateral branches," were not in the " Pro- 
posals," but deliberately inserted as an amendment thereto. 



The Society of the Cincinnatl 

Tlie I'oUuivmg priiictylcs shall be uninutable and fvriii (he basis Principles, 
of the Society of the Cincinnati : 

" An ixcessaxt attextiox to pbeseeve ixvioi.atk those ex- 
alted KIUHT.S AXD LIBEETIES OF HUMAN NATURE, FOK WHICH THEY 
HAVE EOU<;jlT AND BLED, AND WITHOUT WHICH THE IIICH 1!AXK OF A 
BATIONAL BEING IS A CURSE INSTEAD OF A BLESSING. 

" An UNALTERABLE DETEKJIINATIOX TO PROMOTE AND CHERISH, 
BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE StaTES, THAT UNION AND NATIONAL HONOR 
SO ESSENTIALLY NECESSARY' TO THEIR HAPPINESS, AND THE FUTURE DIG- 
NITY OF THE American empire. 

"to render permanent th k coiidial affection subsisting 
among the officers. tlils spirii' will dictate brotherly kind- 
ness ix all things, and particularly', extend to the most sub- 
stanti.yl acts of beneficence, according to the ability of the 
Society', towards those officers and their families, who unfor- 
tunately MAY' BE UNDER THE NECESSITY OF EECEIVIX(i IT. 

" The General Society will, for the sake of freijuriit eoinuiiniiea- Oiganinnion 
tioiis, be ihvicled into State Societies,- ami tliese aiiam into such ili^tncts iitid State 
as shall he directed by the State Society. &c!>?fe. 

" The Societies of the districts to meet as often as shall be aureed StateSocie- 
npiin liy llie State Society, those oi trio State nii the imirtli day oi .hily udn clutrietit. 
annually, or ofteiier, if they shall find it expedient, ami the General 
Society on the first Monday in May, annually, so long as they shall deem 
it necessary, and afterwards, at least once in every three years. 

" At each meetin- the principles of the Institution will be fiillvf f '•';'":?/: »■ "/ 
considered, and tlio l^est measures to promote them adopti.-)]. vomidend. 

"' The State Societies "will cojisist of all the members resident in St(ffe1^r/e- 
each State respectively; and any member removing from one State to fic>'~^{t"'^om 



CO)npot<<(J. 



*At this time there were no postal facilities in the United States, and but very few good 
wagon roads, and these only for short distances. 

Traveling was tedious, expensive and attended with discomfort, and often with privation 
and hardship, and was principally performed on horseback. 

Mucli the larger number of the Continental Army officers had already gone to their homes 
by reason of having been rendered supernumerary in one or other of the reductions and con- 
solidations ordered by the Continental Congress, and all Continental Naval officers had been 
discharged. 

As iiU these were entitled OF RIGHT, to sign the Roll and become Original Members, 
most of them, for the above reason, would have been deprived of this privilege but for tliis 
expedient of subdividing the General Society, for the sake of frequent communications, into 
State Societies. 

tin the " Proposals " the word " fully "' was omitted. 

By its insertion in the Institution, as adopted, the duty is devolved upon the General 
Society, as well as upon every State Society, to fnlhi consider the principles of the Institu- 
tion at every meeting and adopt the best measures to promote them. 



Ojticern of 
Sti'te 
iS/)fi<' til's. 



Duties of 
St fit, 
SoMetiex. 



Poic< r.> 
State i 
Son't-tii !< 



of 



aiiotlier. is to lie, (•(uisidcred, in all respects, as belnniijiug to tlie Society 
lit" the State in which he shall actually reside. ^'^ 

■■ The State Societies to have a President, Vice-President, Sec- 
retary, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer, to be chosen annually, by 
a majority of votes, at the State meeting. 

■' Each State meeting shall write annually, or oftener, if necessary, 
a circidar letter, to the State Societies, noting whatever they may think 
worthy of obserx'ation, respecting the good of the Society, or the general 
union of the States, and giving information of the officers chosen for the 
current year: copies of these letters shall bo regularly transmitted to the 
Secretary-Cieneral of the Society, wlio will record them in a bonk to be 
assigned for that i)iir)>ose. 

■' The State Society will regulate everythingf respecting itself and 
the Societies of its districts consistent with the general maxims of the 
t'iiicinnati, jmlge <.if the qualifications of the members who nuiy !x' ]iro- 
posed, and expel any mendier who, by a conduct inconsistent with a 
gentleman and a man of honor, or by an op]iosition to the interests of 
the community in general, or the Society in particular, may render him-- 
self uiiworthv to continue a member. 



Fumln of 

Stat". 

Socielieii. 

How 
composed. 



Domition.1. 



" In order to form funds whii'li may be respectable, and assist the 
unfortunate, each officer shall deliver to the Treasurer of the State 
Society one month's pay, which shall remain for ever to the use of the 
State Society; the interest only of which, if necessary, to be appro- 
priatecl to the relief of the unforttmate. 

■' I)iinations may be mad.e by persons not of the Society, and by 
mendiers of the Society, for the express purpose of forming permanent 



*This clause lias been construed by the action of the General Society and State Societies 
as being limited to Original Members who were the Founders of the Order, and who re^ect- 
ively gave an order for their month's pay to the Paymaster General, by whom the same was 
transferred to the State Society with which the Officers respectively first affiliated. 

Although Hereditary and Honorary Members, properly admitted in any State Meeting, are 
all Members of " One Socirti/ cf Frirn(U." nevertheless, as any beneficial interest which any 
such member may have nr be entitled to, must be in the Permanent Fund of the State Society 
wherein was deposited his own or his Prtepositus' contribution, it has <-ome to be a uniform 
rule that any such member is not at liberty, by reason of mere residence in another State 
wherein there is a State Sncety, to claim in such State meeting, without its occurrence in the 
nature of a regular transfer, other privilege than of the floor, or other right than to partici- 
pate conjointly in any patriotic or other celebration or ceremony. 

With the existing rapid and comfortable means of transportation from one part of the 
United States to another, far different from such as could be used in 17S3, there Is now no 
difficulty for a member residing in one State to attend in another the State meeting wherein 
he is enrolled. 

tin the '■ Proposals " the clause read that the State Society " trill hnrr the riijhl " to 
regulate everything respecting itself. 

It was stricken out and the clause thus materially changed because in all Military Sccie- 
ttes and Orders of reputation supervisory authority is ex uecrKKitiiir ni vested somewhere to 
enforce compliance with its statutes. The General Society was not constituted by the State 
Societies, but was, " for the sake of frequent communications," divided into State Societies 
as agents for specified purposes, which could not tlien conveniently be performed hy the 
General Society. 



funds for the use of tlie State Society, and the interests of these dona- 
tions appropriated in the same manner as that of the month's pay. 

•■ ^Moneys, at the pleasure of each member, may be subscribed in the ^j**^';!^*""* 
Societies of the districts, or the State Societies, for the relief of tlie " 
unfortunate members, or their widows and orphans, to be appropriated 
by the State Society only. 

" The meeting of the General Society shall consist of its officers '^^^'^P^':''_ , 
and a representation from each State Society, in number not exceeding lohom 
five,* whose expenses shall 1)0 liorne liy their respective State Societies. (omiwue . 

" In 'the general meeting, the President, Vice-President, Secretary, ^""'''"^ , 
Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer-Generals, shall tennof 
be chosen, to serve until the next meeting. 

"The circular letters which have been written bv the respective Business <>f 

r 1 11 1 J general 

State Societies to each other, and their particular laws,f shall be read Soridy. 

and considered, and all measures concerted which may cmidnce to tho 

general intendment of the Society. 

■' It is probable that some persons mav make donations to the ^'""rf^o/ 
. . . '. . . J- 1 General 

General Society, for the purpose of establishing funds for the further Society. 

comfort of the unfortunate, in which case, such donations must be 

placed in the hands of the Treasurer-General, the interests only of which 

to be disposed of, if necessary, by the general meeting. 

" All the officers of the American army, as well as those who have Qua/if <■"- 
resigned with honor, after three years' service in the capacity of officers, 4; original mul 
or who have been deranged by the resolution of Congress upon the sev- J,',",f,/i'^jffp 
eral reforms of the army, as those who shall have coiitiniied to the end of 
the war, have the right to become parties to this institution; provided 
that they subscribe one month's pay, and sign their names to the general 
rules, in their respective State Societies, those who are present with the 
Army immediately; and others within six months after the Army shall 

*In the " Proposals " it was declared that " the General Meeting of the Society shall consist 
" of oil the members who may find it convenient to attend." and the President, Secretary and 
Treasurer of every State Society were required to attend. The expressions General Meeting 
and Orncral Society conveyed the intent emphasized in this clause of the " Proposals," that 
such General Meeting was the consolidated Representative Authority. The method proposed, 
however, being cumbersome, was amended so as to provide for an equal representation from 
every State Society. 

*In the " Proposals " nothing was mentioned as to the " particular Imps " of every State 
Society. 

By the Institution, as agreed upon 10th May, 17S.3, the General Society is imperatively re- 
quired, at every general meeting, to cause to be read the circular letters and particular lau)8 
of every State Society and to consider them and concert all measures ichich may conduce to 
the (jeueral intendment of the Society. 

tTbe " Proposals " authorized any officer who had resigned with honor to become a party 
to the Institution, but this right was limited by amendment so that no officer who bad served 
less than three years under Continental pay could become an Original Member unless he had 
been rendered supernumerary in one of the several reductions of the Army by the Continental 
Congress or was in service when the Army was disbanded. 

The " Proposals " made no reference to Honorary Members, 



be disbaiidc'd, extratii-ilinary cases e,xcepted;'" the rank, tiiue of service, 
resolution of Congress liy wliich any have been deranged, and [)Uiee of 
residence must be added to each name — and as a testimony of ati'ection 
to tile nienmry and the offspring (d' such officers as have (lied in the 
service, their eldest male branches shall have the same right of becom- 
ing members, as the chihlren of tlie actnal members of the Societv. 



Foreir/ii " Those officers who are foreigners, not resident in any of the States, 

■jjliirrx. ^^.jlj liave their names enrolletl by the Secretary-General, and are to bo 

considered as members in the Societies of any of the States in which 

they may ha})[ien to be. 

/foKoi-iiii/' , "And as there are, and will at all times be, men in the respectivo 

States eminent for their abilities and patriotism, whose views may be 

directed to the same laudable objects witli those of the Cincinnati, it 

l.iiiiitiiiioii shall be a rule to admit such characters, as Honorary ^lembers of the 

\if honoraru Society, for their own lives only: Provided always, That the nnndier 

memherH. gf Honorary Members, in each State, does not exceed a ratio of mie to 

four of the officers or their descendants. 

ll^n " Each State Society shall obtain a list of its members, and at the 

first annual meeting, the State Secj-etary shall have engrossed, on jiarch- 
ment, two copies of the Institution of the Society, which every member 
present shall sign, and the Secretary shall endeavor to procui'e the sig- 
nature of every absent memlier ; one of those lists to be transmitted to 
the Secretary-General, to lie kept in the archives of the Society, and the 
other to remain in tlic hands i;f the Stat(> Secretary. Frum the State 
lists, the Secretary-General must make out, at the first general meeting, 
a complete list of the whole Society, with a co]iy of which he will fur- 
nish each State Society. 

Order of thr a y],p Siicietv shall have an Order, bv which its UKnubers shall be 

Uiiieinnan. . . ' . 

DcKcnbfd known and distinguished, which shall lie a medal of gold, of a proper 

Siibm/iientli/ size to receive the emblems, and suspended by a dee]) bbie riband two 

aiutiided (i<(t: jj^pj^pi^ -^-idp, oda'ed with white, descriiitivo of the union of France and 
letter here- • ^ i 

after of America, viz. : 

lift. Major 

L'Eiifaril). 

*When the Institution was adopted, it was not foreseen that the Continental Congress 
would not give the promised half pay for life. Consequently many officers who had been 
retired in one of the several reductions of the army were unable to contribute the required 
month's pay and never subscribed to the Institution. 

Any such officer olwai/.'i had the right to sub.^cribe and every such case was deemed 
" extraordinary." 



■' The principal figure, Mef al 0/ tJie 

Ordfr 

C I N C 1 N N A T U S : "«-*-'• 

Three Senators presenting him with a sword and other military ensigus-on a field in the 
background, his wife standing at the door of their Cottage-near it. 

A PLOUGH AND 1NSTRUME>'TS OF HISBAN-DRY. 

Round the whole, 

OM.NIA RELIQUIT SERVARB REMPUBLICAM. 

On the reverse. 

Sun rising— a city with open gates, and vessels entering the port— Fame 
crowning CINCINXATUS with a wreath, inscribed 

VIRTUTIS PRAEMRTJI. 

Below, 

HANDS JOINED, SUPPORTING A HEART, 

With the motto, 

ESTO PERPETUA. 

Round the whole, 

SOCIETAS CINCINNATORUM INSTITUTA. 

A. D. 178:i.'' 

The Society, deeply impressed with a sense of the generous assist- pj.f)i,.ji 

auce this countrv has received from France, and desirous of perpetu- ^^"'"^ '""' 

,.,,., Military 
ating the friendships which have heen formed, and so happily subsisted, members. 

between the officers of the allied forces in the prosecution of the war, 

direct that the President-General transmit, as soon as may be, to each 

of the characters hei-eafter named, a medal cinitaining the Order of the 

Society, viz. : 

His Excellency the Chevalier de la Luzekxe, Minister Plenipo- 
tentiary, 

His Excellency the Sieuu Gekarh, late ^finister Plenipotentiary, 

Their Excellencies 

The COUXT DE ESTAIXG, 

The Count de Geasse, 
The Count be Bakra.s, 
The Chevalter des Touches, 

Admirals and Commanders in the Navy, 

His Excellencv the Cotxt pe Pociiambeai'. Conmi;inder in ( 'hicf. 



Foimj/if 
ohlUjation of 
mrmbersJiip. 



Form of 
draji fur one 
iiion th 'x pill/. 



Firifl meeting 
of State 
Soriities. 



And Uic Cleucrals and ("dlnm-ls (d' lii.~ aniiy, and acqnaint llitun, 
tliat the Sdcietv dcic> itscH' tlif iKinnr tn cunsidiT tlioni nicinlnT.-."" 

licsolrcdj 'I'lial a fopv uf llic at'(irL'i;()ing institulinn lie gix'eii Id llie 
senior nfficer of eaeli State line, and tliai, llie ottieers (jf the respective 
State line.s sign their names to the same, in manner and form follow- 
ing, viz. : 

" W'o tho suljscriliiTS, ollicers of the Aiiicriraii army, clo hori'liy voluiit-uily liccDine 
partieis to llu' foregoing Instilution, ami do l)in<l ourselves to observe, and l)e governed 
by, the prineiples therein contained. For tlie perfornianee whereof we do solemnly 
[iledge to each other our sacred lionor. 

■'Done in the t'antonnient, on Hudson's Kivor. in tlie year ITS.'i." 

Thai the mendjers id" the Society, at the time of sidjscrihing their 
mmu^s to the Institntion, do also assigii a draft on the Payniaster- 
Generah in the following terms (the rc^giments to do it regimeiitally, 
and the generals and otluT otKcers not lielongiiig to I'egiments, each for 
himself, individually), vi/.. : 

" To .lon.N I'lEHclC. Kmiiiiir. I'lii/Miislcr driirriil to ihc Annij of the United 

Stales: 

" l<ir: I'lea.se to pay to Treasurer for tlie State associa- 
tion uf the I'ineinnati, or his order, one month's jiay of our several grades respectively, 
and deduct the same from the balance which shall be fiuind due to us on tlie fiuat 
lii|uidation of our aecounts; for which this shall be youi- warrant." 

That the members of the se\eral State Societies assemble as soon 
as may be, for the choice of their Presiilent and other officers; aud that 
the Presidtnits correspond together, and ap])oint a meeting of the officers 
who may be chosen from each State, in order to pursue sneli further 
measures as m;iv be jinlged nreessarv. 



Sigiidlunx to 
tlie Inntitir' 
lion. 



Geiienit 
W/u/iiiif/ton 
in eited to 
m/bftenlte. 



That llie General offi'cers, and the officers delegtited to represent 
the se\-eral cor]is of the .Vrniy. subscribe to the Institution of the General 
Society, for themselves ;;nd tlieir constituents, in the manner and form 
before prescribed. 

That (tj;.\i;i;.\i, lli:.\rri. Gf.\i;i;.\l Tj.viiox de >STKi'Tn-..\. and Ge.v- 
EKAT> Knox, be a comntittee to wait on his E.xcelleiicy the Gomnnmdcr- 

♦The " Proposals " were quite different, and merely provided that oil the French officers 
who served in the Auxiliary Army under Lieutenant General Count de Rochambeau should 
have their names and Civil and Military titles and places of residence inscribed in the Archives 
of the Society, and that they should be entitled to all the civilities and friendships of the 
.Society. 

Neither the officers of the Co-operating Army who had served under Vice Admiral and 
Lieutenant General Count D'Estaing in Rhode Island, in 177S, and at the siege and assault of 
Savannah in 1779, nor ttie French Naval officers who had served on the American coast were 
included in the " Proposals." 

The clause was. consequently, radically amended so as to make Menibfrs oi such officers — 
with the limitation, however, that not all such officers, but only those who should have held 
during such service the rank of Colonel or superior army rank or held the grade of Flag 
Officer or commanded a French ship on the American coast should be eligible to Original 
Membership. 



10 



ill-Chief, witli a cujty of the Institution, and request hiin to honor the 
Suoii'ty by phicinji' his iinme at the head of it. 

That ilAjou Gexekal William Heath, second in command in Tranmussion 

... 1 1 1 1 • T • 1 • • !■ 1 T • of Institution 

this Army, be, and he hereby is, desired to transmit copies of the insti- to enmmand- 

tution, with the proceedings thereon, to the commanding officer of the "arhC^mfl 

Southern Army, the senior officer in each State, from Peniisyl\-ania to ^''*'« ■''*'«<' 

Georgia, inclusive, and to the commanding officer of the Khode Island othn- 

line, requesting them to communicate the same to the officers under *"'"""*• 

their several commands, and to take such measures as may a]i]>ear to 

them necessary for expediting the establishment of their State Societies, 

and sending a delegation to represent them in the first general meeting, 

to be liolden on the first IMondny in IMay, 17S4. 

Tlie meeting then adjuurncd without dav. 



CANTONMENT. 

Ui-' Till-; A.\u:i:icA.N Ahmv, UlTii of Jink, ITSo. 

Mettiny of Xx a lucctiiiii- uf tlic (u'licral officers, ami tlte iicntliMiicii ilclry'ated 

m?t June, , , . " . .' . ,,.,.,,'-. 

1783. Iiy rlie respective regiments, as a couventioii tor establisliing tlio Society 

of the Ciiu'iiiiiati. held liy ilic rcqiicst <it' the Pre-iidciit. at which were 

present :•■■ 

.Majiir (iciirral IJak-u.n dk .Steuuex, Inspcc-iMr (iriioral, I'rcsiili'iit. 

.Majnr (Icijfral li(ii;j:i;r lIoWK. 

Major (iciieral I'Ii'Miv Ixndx, Cliicf C'<iiitineiital Corps ol Ar- 
tillery. 

Brigadier General -loii.x 1*a rrKi;si_)X. 

Brigadier General i'",i)\VAi;i) IfAAD, Adjutant (.Tcncral. 

Ih-igadier General J KDKDrAii Hun'tixotox. 

JJrigadier General Uri rs Pht.na.m. 

( 'oloiiel 8ami.. I!i.a< II l.l;^■ W'khi;. od Iieginient ('oniiecticut ('<iu- 
tineiital Infantry. 

JJeutenant ( 'olonel KnKSKy.EK JIuxtixotox. 1st l!(>i;iniont ('mi- 
necticut Continental Infantry. 

^lajor Josicpii Pj-;Ti'j;.\iiii.L. 1st Iieiiiinriit Massachnsetts Conti- 
nental Infantry. 

Lieutenant .Inux \\'urnx(i, Adjutant 2d Iveginient ^Massaehuvdls 
Continental Infantry. 

Coliiiiel TIi:xnY .Ia(KS(i\, nil Keiiiiiieur ^rassacliusetts Coiitinenral 
Infantry. 

Captain Samuel Suaw, -'Id Kegiinent C<.aitinental ('m-ps nf Ar- 
tillery. 

Jdeutenant Colonel A\'ir.T.TAj[ Ilrr.T,. '^d Iteginient ^Fassachusetts 
Continental Infantry. 

Lieutenant Colonel JFron ^Maxwet.i., 8th Reginieiit .Massachusetts 
Continental Infantry. 

Colonid PinLip Ya\ Cok'ti.axdt, 2d Regiment Xew York Con- 
tinental Infantry. 

„ - General IJarox dk Si-ki-hkx acouaintcil the ( 'unveiiiiiin ihai he 

Steuben's liad, agreeably to their reipiest. at the last meeting, traiisniitte(l in his 

Excellency the Chevalier de la Luzerxe, Minister Pleuipotenriary 
from the Court of France, a co])y of the Institntion of the Society of the 
Cincinnati, with their vote respecting his Excellency, and the nrlier 
characters therein ]iientiniie(l ; and that lii< Excellencv had returiiecl an 

•This meeting was heir] in ihc Public Building. 

12 



report. 



auswer, declariug his aeceptaiiee of the same, and oxjn-ussiug the grate- 
ful s^euse he entertains of tlie lionor conferred on himself, and the other 
gentlemen of the French nation, by this act of the Convention. 

Resolved, That the letter of the Cjievalier de la Luzekxe be 
recorded in the proceedings of this day, and deposited in the archives 
of the Society, as a testimony of tlie high sense this Convention enter- 
tains of the honor dime to the Society liy his becoming a memlicr 

thereof. ie.y/ii.y^/' 

The letter is as follows : M,n-eclialde 

Cinnp to the 
Phil.vdelphia, 3d Juup, 1783. Chei-alier de 

■■ MvnsiLui Ic Baron: I have received with much gratitude, the Institution of the " i-iiscrnf. 
respectable Order that the officers of the Aniei'iean array have founded. If courage, 
patience, aud all the virtues that this brave array have so often displayed in the 
course of this war could ever be forgotten, this monument alone should recall theni. 
I dare assure you, sir, tliat all the olliecrs of my nation that you have been pleased to 
admit in your Society will be intinitoly honored by it. I pray you to be fully per- 
suaded I feel, for my part, in the most lively manner, the honor the officers of the 
army have done me in deigning to think of me upon this occasion. 

" I expect to pay my respects to his excellency General Washington, as soon as 
the definite treaty shall be «igned, and T shall liavc the honor of assuring them, per- 
sonally, of ray respectful acknowledgmcni. 

" I seize, witli great eagerness, this occasion of expressing to you tlie sentiments 
of the most perfect and most respectful attachment with which I have the honor to 
be. Monsieur le Baron, your very liumblc an<l very obedient servant, 

Le Chevalier de l.v Lczeu.ne. 
To Baron de Steuben, ilajor General in tlic 

service of the United States, Head Quarters." 
, . . 1 If -ir ■ Amcndntory 

The Baron having als(.) commimicated a letter from ALajor Resolution as 

L'E^'FAXT, enclosing a design of the medal and order, containing the ^/jg /r-^f^f/ 
emblems of the Institution, "«««• 

Resolved, That the bald eagle, carrying the endilems on its breast, 
be established as the order of the Society, and that the ideas of Major 
L'ExFAXT, respecting it and the manner of its being worn by the mem- 
bers, be adopted. That the order be of the same size, and in every other 
respect conformable to the said design, which for that purpose is certi- 
fied by the Babox de Stevbex, President of this Convention, and to he 
deposited in the arcliive-^ of the Society, as the original, from wliieh all 
cojnes are to be made. Also, thnt sil\-cr medals, not exceeding the size 
of a SpanisR milled dollar, with the emblems, as designed by Major 
L'Ekfaxt, and certified by tlie Bi-esidcut. be given to each and every 
member of the Society, tnr/etJicr iriflt a diploma, on parchment, ivhereon 
shall he impressed the exact fir/ures of the order and medal, as above 
mentioned : anythiiu/ in the orir/inal Tiis/Hidion. respeetinri rfold medals, 
to the ronlrai'ji nolicilhsldndinfi. 



.Miijur 1,"K.\'I'-axt's lotfcr is as follows: 

TrnMliition rnii.ADii.i'iiiA. loth Jiiiu'. 17S3 

of Letter of 



Iht. Mdj. 



" Ml/ (Jenciitl: Iniiiiciliiitfly uii iffrivins vuiir letter iit' tlu' 20tli .\la_v. which 1 
Pien-e " '"''' ''V aceiileiit !it the post olliee. on the 7lh iust.. I set myself :ih<>ut tile plan of the 

Vhetrleit medal, t send yon lioth faees of the design, which I have made large, so that you 

Jj Hiipint, j^jjjy iietter judge of them. In the execution thev can be lednccd to a convenient size, 

Eii'iineerD which, on account of the pvccision rei|niieil In the design, ought not to be less than a 

(hserijitive of dollar, the subject being loo complex to admit of its being properly detailed in a 
t/>e Order. smaller compass. 

" 1 have not made it oval, agreeably to yonr desire, as such a form is not proper 
for a medal; besides, it can be done in the execution, if the idea should be persisted 
in of having the order in thai form, to which, howevi'r. I tliink any other preferable, 
i also believe and hope that you will be jiersuaded of tliis, and endeavor to convince 
the gentlemen of it wlio i-ompose the committee for forming the Institution, and to 
whom 1 beg you to conununicate the following observations: 

•■ A medal, whether round or oval, is considered, in the diU'erent states of Europe, 
only as a reward of the laborer and the artist, or as a sign of a manufacturing com- 
munity, or religious society: besides, the abusive custom prevailing particularly in 
Germany and Italy, of sending to France mountebanks, dancers and musicians, orna- 
mented in this manner, renders it necessary to distinguish tliis Order l)y a form which 
shall be peculiar to itself, and which will answer the two-fold pur|)ose of honoi'ing 
those invested with it. and making itself respected for its simplicity, by such as may 
be in a situation miiuitely to examine its ditl'erent parts. 

•• Xot that 1 suppose one form or another will change the opinion of a republican 
peo]iles accustonu'd to think; 1 only say, that in an Institution of this sort, the main 
design should lie to render it respectable to everyboily, and that it is only in appealing 
to the senses that you can engage the attention of the common ])eople, who have 
certain habitual prejudices which cannot be destroyed. A gentleman already invested 
with any Kuropean Order would be unwilling to carry a medal, but if flattere<l by 
receiving a nuirk of distinction from a respectable .society, he sliould ilo it. the man- 
ner of it would by no means increase the value of the (Irder. On the contrary, giving 
it a new and particular form will be ad<ling a recinnmeudation to its real value, ami 
engage those invested with it to wear it in the same manner as their other Military 
Orders, which is the surest means of putting it at once upon a footing with them. 

" The bald eagle, which is peculiar to this continent, and is distinguished from 
those of other climates by- its wliite head and tail, appears to me to deserve attention. 

" I send you two essays which I have made, and desire one of them nui}' be 
adopted instead of the medal. In one. I make the eagle supporting a star with thir- 
teen points in the centre of which is the figure of the medal, with its inscriptions, as 
well in front as on the re^•erse. A legend might be :ulded in the claws and go rotind 
the neck of the eagle, with a particular inscription, or the contour of the medal 
transferred there. In the other. 1 li:>ve ncuh- simply the eagle, supporting on its 
Oriler 111 breast the ligure of the medal, with a legend in his claws and about the neck, which 

aaojiieil. passes Ijehind and sustains the reverse. I would prefer the latter, as it does not 

resemble any other ()rder, and bears a distinct character; nor will it be expensive in 
its execution. The first device, although more complex, wotdd not be so dear as 
people might imagine, especially if the execution of it should be committed to skillful 
persons, which would not be the cas(^ any more than with the medal, but by sending 
it to iMirope. where it would not take uj) a great deal of time, nor be so expensive as 
to trust the execution of it here to workmen not well acquainted witli the business. 

" A medal is a moiuunent to be transmitted to posterity: and, consequently, it 
is necessary that it lie executed to the highest degree of perfection possible in the age 

14 



ill wliit-li it is ^Inuk. Now, tu strike a mi'ilal well, is a matter that rei|uire.s practice 
ami a good die; and as there is not here either a press proper for this work, nor 
people who can make a good die, I would willingly undertake to rocommend tlie 
execution of the Medal, the Eagle, or the (Irder, to such persons in Paris as are 
capable of executing it to perfection. 

•• So far from proposing to change the oval medal into an eagle, on which slunild 
lie impressed the medal, I do not pretend to say medals cannot be made. On the 
contrary, my idea of the subject is that silver medals should be struck, at the conuuou 
expense of the Society, and distributed, one to each member, as an appendage to a 
diploma of parchment, wliereon it would be proper to stamp tlie figure of the medal, 
the eagle, or the star, in its full dimensions, and properly colored, enjoin iiKj mi the 
Members to niifonii to it, though leaving them the liberty, provided it be at their 
own expense, of having it made of such metal and as small as they please, without 
altering any of the emblems. It seems to me by no means proper that the Honorary Order — /wir 
ilembers should wear tlie Order in the same manner as the Original Members; it to he worn by 
would be necessary that they should wear the Medal, the Stiir, or the Eagle, round '"f,ini)g,.f n„,i 
their necks, and tlie Original Members at the third button-hole. ' hi/ origiryd 

" These remarks. I beg you, my General, to have translated and submitted to the »ieml>erx. 
gentlemen concerned. I shall be obliged to you to let me know the issue of this 
letter, and their (leci>ioii upon it. 

" I have, etc., etc., etc., 

'•' L'Enfaxt. 

N. B. The head and tail of the eagle sliould be silver, or enamelled in white, the Biild tUi/lt of 

body and wings gold, the medal on its breast and back enamelled in the same color the Order 

as the legend; sprigs of laurel and oak might be added in the wings enamelled in "^^'''''t'^"' 
green; the star shouhl be pointed in gold, or enamelled in blue and white ; those who 

would be at tlie expense might, instead of white, have diamonds. The riband, as is Riband, as 

customary in all orders, should be watered.*' * '(mended. 

^^ Eesolved, That the thanks of this Cum-eiition l)e transmitted, by Rrsolutiohof 

the President, to Major UEnfanTj for his care and ingenuity in pre- ^^^ ' j/.y- 
^_______.. — ^_ .._ ^ VEnfani. 

Major L'Eiifanfs offer of as&istanee iu the fabiiration of the Order was accspted in the 
Resolutions of the lUth Juue, 17S3. which preceded aud followed his commuuication, and which 
were amendatory to the Institution as formulated ou the 10th May. ITisS. 

By this amendment is was piescribed " that the Order be of the same size. <unJ in cKcru 
other nsptct vonfonntihlr to thr ■■idid drsifjii, as the original, from which all copies are to be 
made. 

Major L'Enfant was requested to carry "" the designs into execution for Order and Di- 
ploma," for which purpose the President is desired to correspond with him. 

On the 29th October, 17S3, President General Washington, from Army Headquarters. Rocky 
Hill, N. J., commissioned Major L'Enfant to proceed to Paris. France, for certain purposes, 
and among them was to supervise the striking of a die for the Order and the fabrication of" 
Eagles, these being, as usual in Military Orders, under the cognizance of the General Society. 

At the session of the first meeting of the General Society, held in Philadelphia, on the ITth 
May, 1784. it was: 

" Hesofrrd. That the thanks of this General Meeting be presented to Major L'Enfant for 
" his great care and attention in the execution of the business of this Society which was com- 
" mitted to him and transacted in France." 

At the Triennial Meeting of the G'eneral Society, held in Philadelphia, 17th May, 17S7, it 
was : 

" Rrsolvcfl. That the Eagles, or Order of the Cincinnati, in the possession of Major 

" L'Enfant be taken on account of the General Society. * * " 

On the following day the General Society. 

" Resolved, That the Assistant Secretary General do dispose of the Eagles whicb may be 
" received from Major L'Enfant, and account for the proceeds thereof to the Secretary 
" General." 

The General Society had enough Orders on hand to supply members for a number of years. 

Meanwhile the French Revolution and wars between France and England— and Orders in 
Council and Berlin and Milan Decrees— wholly interrupted American commerce with France 
until after 181.5. The original die was lost during the disturbances of the French Revolution. 

But few Hereditary Members were admitted until after 1825. and they generally had their 
Fathers' Eagles. 

When, a number of years later, orders were desired to replace those lost, the several 
State Societies undertook separately to cause dies to be struck, no two of which were alike 
and differing in detail, so that the General Society in 1890 had to resume jurisdiction over the 
subject. 

15 



paring the aforciuentioncil (Icsijiiis. ami iliat be In- anjuaiiitcd that they 
cheert'uUy embrace his oli'er uf assistance, aud request a coiitinuauce of 
his attention in carrviug the ile.signs into cxecntiDU, fur which purpose 
the President is desired In corrcspdiid \\ iili him. 

Gciicnil " Jlesolrcd, That hi> Kxcelicncy tlic ( 'i.iiiiin:in(Jer-in-( 'hicf he re- 

e/ioxrn ' nuesteu to ornciatc as 1 rc^Klciit-ticneral, nntil liic Inrst general meeting, 

jy"'-- , 10 ije lield in .Mav nexi. 

irciinvil. 

OtJurf/fiiirnt Tiiat a Treasurer-lieiieral and a Sc<Tciary-(ieneral he lialloted fi»r, 

ct'isrn. fo onicnite m like manner. 

The ballots btdng taken, ilajcjr-General Jtl"iJoL:o.vLL was elected 
Treasurer-General, and Major General Knox, Secretary-General, who 
are hereby re(pu'sled t" acrepi saiil a[ipiiintments. 

Mnoliitioii Besolrcil, Thai all liie pniccrdiugs of this (_'(.in\'ention, including 

iioi'iifthe "'6 institution id rlu! vSociety, lie rt'i-nrdcd I trom tlie original papers in 

Cwniinati j^j^ possession) In' Caiitain >Sii.\w, whii at the tir.st meeting was requested 
LmMuhon i / .. i ? & i ^ 

find Records, to act as Secretary, and that the same, signed by the President's Sec- 
retary, tiigeliicr with the uriginal jiapers, be given intn the hands of 
.Majoi- (icncral !\\<ix. Sccretary-(ieiu'ral to the Society; and that ('i\\>- 
taiii \()i;ru aid-dc-camp to the Paroii de Stkl'hkn, and acting .secretai'v 
Til him as J'rcsidcnt. sign the said recorils. 

The dissolution of a very considerable part of the Army, since the last 
meeting of this (_'oii\-ention, ha\'ing rendered the attendance of .some of 
its members impracticable, and the necessity of .some temporary arrange- 
ments, previous to the first meeting of the General Society, being so 
strikingly ol)vious, the Couventiou found itself constrained to make those 
before mentioned, which they have done witli the utmost diffidence of 
themselves, and relying entirely on the candor of their constitutents to 
make allowance for the measure. The ])rincipal olijects of its a])point- 
nient being thus accomplished, the members of this Coin'ention think fit 
to dissii|\-c till' same, and it is hereby dissolved accordingly. 

Stkubk.v, Major General, 

Fresident. 
'>. SiiAW, Ca]!!. of ^\rt., 

Sccreiari/ to Ihr Conreiillon. 

WlI.I.TAM XORTII, A. 1). C, 

and Srrrclari/ lo the President. 



K) 



INSTITUTION 

OF THE 

SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI, 

AS 

AMENDED AND ALTERED 

AT THEIR FIRST GENERAL MEETING 

IN 

PHILADELPHIA, 

May 15, 1784. 



It having pleased the hupiacME Govkkmoi; of the Ijniverse to ObjecU of tin- 
1 J.- 1 1 1- 1 1 IT Order. 

give success to the arms oi our couutrv, and to establish the United 



b 



States Free and Indepeiideiit : Therefore, gratefully to commemorate 
this event — to inculcate to the latest ages the duty of laying down iii] 
peace, anus assumed for [lublic defence, by forming an lustitutiou which 
recognizes that most imjjortant jDrinciple — to continue the mutual friend- 
ships which commenced under the pressure of common danger — and to 
effectuate the acts of beneficence, dictated by the spirit of brotherly 
kindness toward those officers and their families, who unfortunately may 
be under the necessity of receiving them ; the officers of the American 
Army do hereby constitute themselves into a Society of Friends : and 
possessing the highest veneration for the character of that illustrious 
Iioman. Lucius Quintius Cincinxatus, denominate themselves 



The Society of the Cincinnati. S."-^''" 

Sect. 1. The persons who constitute this Society are all the com- Original 
missioned and brevet officers of the army and navy of the United States, f^T^Xfnd 
who ha\-e served three years, and who left the service -with reputation; constrmd. 
all officers who were in actual service at the conclusion of the war ; all the ^^- ^- S'''"»"^<^- 
principal staff officers of the Continental Army; and the officers who 
have been deranged by the several resolutions of Congress, u]ion the dif- 
ferent reforms of the army. 

Sect. 2. There are also admitted into this Society, the late and Prene/i 

oervnr. 
present ministers of his Most Christian Majesty to the United States; 

all the generals and colonels of regiments and legends of the land forces ; 

17 



OJIirers of 

Gentral 

Socit'ty. 

Meetings of 

General 

Society. 



Coiiiponilion 
of Otneritl 
Sori/'ty. 



;ill the ailiuirals ami captain.^ of llic luny, ranking as cdlunrls, wIki li.i\c 
eo-oiicrated witli llic armies <if llic i'liilcil StaU's, in ilicir exertions for 
Liberty; and such nther persnns as iiave lieen admitteil liy tlie respective 
State meetings. 

Sect. 3. TLie Society sliall lia\e a president, vice-president, sec- 
retary and assistant-secretary. 

Sect. 4. There sliaii be a meeting of tiie Society, at least ouce in 
three years, on the first Monday in May, at such place as the president 
shall appoint. 

The said meeting shall consist of the aforesaid officers ( whose ex- 
penses shall be equally borne by the State fnnd.sj and a representation 
from each State. 



Objirfg of 

General 

Meetinij. 



The bnsiness of this general meeting shall be, to regnlate the dis- 
tribution of surplus funds; to appoint officers for the ensuing term, and 
to conform the by-laws of tlu^ State meeting to the general dbjects of the 
Institution. 



Orqaniiiition 
of ',St'ite 
Meetingx. 



Time of State 
MeMings and 
objects 
thereof. 



8' ate 
Societies, 
how 
compoyed 



Sei't. 5. The Society shall be divided into State meetings; each 
meeting shall have a president, vice-president, secretary, aiid treasurer, 
respectively; to be chosen by a majority of votes annually. 

Sect. (!. The State meetings shall l>e on the Anniversary of Inde- 
pendence. They shall concert stich meastires as may coudtice to. the 
benevolent purposes of the Society ; and the several State meetings shall 
at suitable periods, make applications to their respective Legislatures 
for grants of charters. 

Sect. 7. Any mcndier remii\-ing from one State to ain>ther, is to 
lie considered, in all respects, as l)elonging to the meeting nf the State in 
which he shall actually reside. 



Qijalifii'ii- 
liomi of 
niemhemliij). 
by vhoin 
determined. 

Dutv of 

Secretary of 
State Society. 



Permanent 
Fund. 



Secm'. S. The State meeting shall judge of the qualification of its 
mend'ers, admonish, and (if necessary) expel any one who may conduct 
himself unwDrthily. 

Sect. !t. The secretary of each State meeting shall register the 
names of the members resident in each State, and transmit a enjiy thereuf 
to the secretary of the Society. 

Sect. 10. Tn order to form funds for the relief of nnfortunate 
memliers, their widows and orjihans, each officer shall deliver to the 
treasurer of the State meetino- one month's pav. 



18 



Sect. 11. No donations shall be received, but from citizens of the Di'tuiUom. 
United States. 

Sect. 12. The funds of each State meeting shall be loaned to the Dispontion 
State by permission of the Legislature, and the interest only, annually p„,i(i\einAj 
to be applied for the purposes of the Society: and if, in process of time, ".'' "^<<'^;'<""^ 
difficulties should occur in executing the intentions of the Society, the Iiutitution. 
Legislatures of the several States shall be requested to make such 
equitable dispositions as may be most correspondent wth the original 
design of the Institution. 

Sect. 13. The subjects of his Most Christian Majesty, members SUtU- Society 
of this Society, may hold meetings at their pleasure, and form regula- 
tions for their police, conformably to the objects of the Institution, and 
to the spirit of their government. 

Sect. 14. The Society shall have an Order ; which shall be a Bald T/ie Order. 
Eagle of gold, bearing on its breast the emblems hereafter described, sus- 
pended by a deep blue ribbon edged with white, descriptive of the union 
of America and France : 

" The principal figure 

CINCINNATUS : 

Three Senators presenting him with a sword and other military ensigns— on a field in the 
background, his wife standing at the door of their cottage — near it 

A PLOUGH AND OTHER IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY. 

Round the whole, 

OMNIA RELIQUIT SERVARE REMPUBLICAM. 

On the reverse, 

Sun rising— a city with open gates, and vessels entering the port, 

Jfamc 

Crowning CINCINNATUS with a wreath. 

Inscribed, 

VIRTUTIS PR.TiMlUM. 

Below, 
Hands joined, supporting a heart. 
. With the Motto. 

ESTO PERPETUA. 

Round the Whole, 

SOCIETAS CINCINNATORUM INSTITUT.i, 

A. D. 1783." 

Sect. 15. A Silver Medal, representing the emblems, to be given ,yedai and 
to each member of the Society ; together with a Diploma on. parchment, ^^l''"'""- 
whereon shall be impressed the figures of the Order and Medal, as above 
mentioned. 

19 



XoTE.— Wheu the Institution of the Cincinnati was adopted in raiitonmeuts on the Hudson, 
10th May, 17S3, only a very small portion of the Continental Army of the Revolution remained 
in actual field service, with a proportionate number of Generals and Staff Officers, the 
remainder having been given leave to go to their homes to await the definite treaty of peace 
of which the preliminaries had been signed. 

The Institution as then formulated had to be amended on the lUth June, 17S3. in the 
matter of the adoption of the Bald American Eagle as the Order of this Military Society 
instead of a medal, and providing for a diploma of membership. 

Pursuant to the requirement of the Institution the first meeting of the General Society 
was held in Philadelphia 4th May. 17S4, at which all the State Societies, e.vcept France, weie 
represented for the first time, and President General M'ashington presided. 

The French State Society was not represented because President General Washington was 
unwilling to act on the request of that State Society to designate any three of its members 
then in the United States as its Representation, for the reason that he did not believe 
that a State Society could delegate such authority to an individual. 

At this general meeting the Committee of the whole unanimously reported as to the 
Institution, that " sundry 7nattcrs and things therein ought to he eorrected and amended." 

This was attempted in the Institution then formulated and unanimously adopted, and 
the amendments as to the Order, and Diplomas made by the Convention of llith June. ITJSS. 
were properly^ embodied. 

In consequence, however, of outside clamor, soon proven to have been unfounded, the 
General Society in certain defined and specific particulars, went beyond mere umciidment 
lor gi eater precision of intention, and undertook to alter the instrument in certain fundamental 
organic provisions which made it necessary to secure unanimous concurrence of the State 
Societies because no method was provided in the Institution for organic alterations. 

These material alterations were specifically stated by President General Washington in 
the circular letter put forth by order of the General Society to the several State Societies 
in the United States, and to the State Society in France, for the purpose of securing their 
concurrence, as follows, viz.: 

■■ That the hereditary succession should be abolished; that all interference with 
" particular subjects should be done away; and that the funds should be placed under 
" the immediate cognizance of the several Legislatures who should be requested to grant 
" charters for more effectively carrying our humane designs into execution." 
The interference with particular subjects had direct reference to the first and second 
of the Principles of the Institution which being political in character were omitted. 

As the Cincinnati were, however, determined to have a more perfect union of the States 
and protection of National honor, they would not give up these objects, but persevered until 
their potential efforts culminated in the adoption of the Constitution of the United States, 
and. having thus secured a Constitutional National Government, they thence forth devoted 
themselves to their domestic concerns and to benevolence and to the inculcation of patriotism. 
The desirability of expressing the intent of the Founders of the Order in a clearer 
manner had become manifest from claims preferred to original membership between the 
19th June, 17S3. and May, 17S4. 

The Institution begins with the words, " Proposals for establishing a Society upon 
principles therein mentioned whose members shall he officers of the American Army." 

Nothing is said about Officers of the Continental Navy or Continental Corps of Marines. 
In the Institution, however, officers of the French Army and Navy, who had served in 
time and manner stated, were declared entitled to be members. 

The Amended Institution, in so far as it was not intended to be altered in the particulars 
which lequiied State Society concurrence, must be accepted as a judicial interpretation 
of the original institution by one of the most imposing and important bodies which ever 
assembled in these United States, to wit: the General Society of 17S4. 

So far as the Amended Institution merely " corrects " the original Institution and is 
more specific and precise in details, like that prescribing the Bald Eagle for the Order, it 
is to be accepted as explanatory of the intention of the Founders. 

Accordingly, for example, the several State Societies thereafter admitted as original 
members, continental naval officers like Commodores John Paul Jones and Abraham Whipple. 
Captains John Green. John Barry and James Nicholson, Lieutenants Richard Dale. Pierre 
Douville and James Warren, and continental marine officers like Captain William Jones. 

That the Amended Institution, in so far as it was not fundamentally altered in the 
particulars set forth in President General Washington's communication herein before men- 
tioned, was intended merely to express the intent of the Founders, is further exemplified in 
his letter to the several State Societies, of date 15th May, 1784. transmitted by order, in 
which ho said: 

•■ The instrument of our Association was of necessity drawn up in a hasty manner 
" at an epoch as extraordinary as it will be memorable in the annals of mankind, when 

20 



'■ the mind, agitated by a variety of emotions, was not al liberty * '^ * to digest our 

" ideas in so correct a form as could have been wished." 

Subsequently, on the 17th of May. 17S4, President General Washington, in a letter to 
Vice-Admiral M. le Comte de Barras, who had commanded a French squadron in Rhode 
Island, said: 

" It was intended to comprehend in the original Institution of the Cincinnati many 

" officers who, through want of better information and a peculiarity of circumstances, 

" were omitted." 

In a report made to the General Society on the 7th May, 18r»l, by the late President 
General, the Hon. Hamilton Fish, LL.D., on behalf of a Committee, it was stated that the 
original Institution was not framed 

" with the precision and formalities usual in preparing legal documents. 

" It looked to general results well understood by those who were parties to its 

" formation, but not expressed with the precision which leaves no room for doubt in 

" the minds of those who are to obtain their knowledge of its intentions only from 

" its perusal." 

The Amended Institution of 17S4. except in fundamental explicit alterations, having been 
formulated and adopted by the Original Members themselves in their first General Meeting 
in order to express clearly the intent of the Founders, constitutes in these particulars an 
authoritative construction and interpretation of the original Institutiod, which still exists 
unimpaired. 

Dated 15 May. ISS-1. 

ASA BIRD GARDINER, 

Sceictary CencruL 



21 



ORDINANCES, PRECEDENTS 

AND 

Staiulmo" Resolutions of the General Society 



Ohjectx of the The lustitiitioii, as adojitcil 111 178^), requires the General Society, 

Society under =it evei-y inoeting-, to fiillji consider tlie Priueiiiles thereof and ado])t the 

the I'isMu- i,j,j;j iiicMsiiri-s to iironiote thi'ni, and also that it shall read and consider 

tuin. . ' . 

the Cimi/dr Letters and I'nrt iciiliir Laws of the respective State Soci- 
eties and concert all nioasiircs wliicli may conduce to the ireneral intend- 
nii-nt of tlie Society. 

I'nder these provisions ihc (ieiicral Society has. from rime to time, 
intcrpreieil and construeil tlie lani>uajne of the Institution and required 
conformity with its general intendment, and also made Rules and Kciiu- 
lations for its ovn procedure. 

In tlie Amended Institution (Sec. 4) it is dei-Iared that the " business 
of the General Meeting,'" among other duties, shall be " to conform the 
By-Laws of the State ileetiiigs to the general objects of the Institution." 

,Sf,,tr Sdcieiic.^ At the Triennial meeting (jf tlie (ieneral Society, held in Philadel- 

^mnfarmto p''';'- I^'th ^lay, I7b7, it was " Ordered, That the several State Societies 

the Imtitu- \^^. punctual hereafter in eommunicatino- to the fieneral meeting fair and 
tioii nmi to ,. T ■ • " , 1 1 " • 1 

nulla; accurate returns of their respective members, properly authenticated: 

aiiil that the said Societies do. in all things. ,-trii'tIy conform tii the prin- 
ciples of the Institution." 



ComixmtioK The Institution prescrilies that I lie (icneral Society willj for the 

Soeifti/'^'^ ' ^■'1'''' "^d' frequent communications, be divided into State Societies, and 
■■ that the meeting of the General Society shall consist of its Officers 
and a Representation from each State Society, in number not exceed- 
ing tive." 

The Othcers specifically mentioned in the Institution are the Presi- 
dent General, Vice-President General, Secretary General, Treasurer 
General, Assistant Secretary General and Assistant Treasurer General. 



The Institution iji-cscriltes that the General Society shall meet at Triennial 
i _ " (iThd, Special 

least once in everv three years, aud every State Society on tiie itii day meetings, how 
of July aniinally, or ofteiicr, if found expedieut. 

As a general rule, the General Society has, prior to the conclusion By Gcnei-nl 
of a meeting, designated when and where another General Meeting 
should be held. 

To ol)viate the difficulties which mii;lit arise in an emerji'encv from By President 
an inflexible rule, the General Society, at the Triennial Meeting held m 
Philadelphia. 7th :\lay. 1832, 

■■ Eesolved, That the President General be authorized to call a 
meeting of the General Society whenever circumstances may apjiear to 
render it necessarv." 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Societv held in Phila- When called 
delphia. Nth :May, 1838, it was ' ^^f "" 

■' Hcsiilvrd. That until fiTrther orders are given on the subject, the 
stated meetings of the Society be dispensed with, and that the future 
meetings be lield when directed by the President-General, or in the event 
of his death or absence, by the Vice-President-General : and that it shall w/i>/i by 
be the duty of the Secretary-General to give due notice of the same to J^',;'^"^J)^'^"„; 
the several State Societies of the Cincinnati in existence at such times." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Charles- 
S. C, 14th April, 1881, the President-General ruled, nemine conim- 
dicente, that, under the foregoing resolutions of 7th May, 1832, and 
Sth May, 1838, he is authorized to call special or extra general meet- 
ings in his discretion. 

Siiecial meetings of the General Societv were held in Philadelphia, When by 
1st Xoveudjer, 1825, and 2 Sth ?v"ovember, lS-4-i, pursuant to the direc- Oenernl. 
tiou of the Secretary-General, in consequence of the decease, in each 
instance, after the last previous meeting, of both the President-General 
and Vice-President-General. 



The Institution prescribes that, " in the General meeting, the ^J!^""^,,^/^;.- 
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Office. 
and Assistant Treasurer-Generals, shall be chosen to serve until the 
next meeting." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society, held in Phila- 
delphia, U>th May, 1787, it was unanimously 

23 



" Iic'.<iolre(l-, T\[:\[ (111- sf\cr:il iitiiccrs I'lidsen l;>v this Soeietv shall 
liold their oflices until tlic hist day of the next General nieetini!; unless 
others simll be duly elected in their room." 

This expression, ■" (Jeneral Meetlny," was, in this connection, con- 
stnied bv the (Jeneral Society in its action at the Special meetiniis held 
in Pliihulclphia. Tith May, 1788; 2d May, 1791, and 5th May. 1800, 
to mean a Triennial (Jeneral meetiBg. 

At the SjJecial meeting of the General Society, lield in riiihi- 
deiphia, 29tk K'ovember, 1848, the Secretary -General, in caufomiity 
witii a resolution of a previous meeting requesting liim to collect from 
the minutes and proceedings of the Society the diifercnt rules and regu- 
lations tliat have been from time to time adopted, in regard to the elec- 
tion and tenure of * * officers, reported : * " '• That since the 
substitution of Special for stated Triennial meetings, tlie officers have 
been chosen for three years, and thenceforward tintil a new election 
takes place." 

This report was adopted. 

Since 1784 the invariable rule has been for the General Officers to 
hold their respective offices until the close of the General jMeeting at 
which a new election was had — unless tiie office was vacant by reason 
of the decease of the last incumbent. 

All the Presidents General since 17S."5 have, in succession, continued 
in the performance of the duties of that office from the time when cliosen 
until their decease. 

In like manner all the Secretaries General, with exceptirm of the 
first Secretary-General, Major-General Henry Ivnox, who became Vice- 
President-CJeneral, have, in succession, continued in the porfiirmaiicc 
of the duties nf tliat office from tlie time when clnisen until their 
decease. 

Inability of At the Triennial meeting of the General Society nf the ('incinnali 

<\r to'seriv— '"'1'' ^'^ Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. 14th .May. 180ij. u])i.n the report 

Office, how .-m,i rpeomniendation of the Standini;- Executive Committee, it was 

mhd kinpo- 

1-ardij. unanimously 

■' licsolvcd, That wlu'U the President-General, Secretary-General 
" or the Treasurer-General shall become incapacitated and unable, from 
" any cause, to perform the duties of his office, the Vice-President- 

24 



■■ Gt'ucnil, Assistant Secretarv-General aiul Assistant Treasurer-Geueral 
"respectively shall, njxai the request of thr Standing Executive Com- 
" niittee, assume and perform the functions of said respective oifices 
•' until said Standing Executive Committee shall determine said inca- 
" pacity or disability to no longer exist, or until the further order of 
" the General Society. 

" In case of decease of the President-General, Secretary -General 
" or Treasurer-Geueral, the proper Assistant General Officer shall per- 
" form the duties thereof." 

At the Triennial nieetinj;' of the General Society held in the former General OjpVi' 
' ' ^ ' ^ •' , , when racanl. 

Quarters of Baron de Steuben in the VerPlauck Mansion, Fishkill-ou- iwirMUd. 

Hudson, 12th May, 1899, it was unanimously 

" Resolved, That whenever a vacancy from any cause arising shall 
■' occur in the offices both of President-General and Vice-President- 
■' General, or of Secretary-General and Assistant Secretary-General, or 
'■ of Treasurer-General or Assistant Treasurer-Geireral, the Standing 
" Executive Committee shall be atithorized and empowered to appoint 
■■ a mendjer of the General Society to procure and care frir such papers. 
" property and effects of the General Society of the Cincinnati as may 
■' have been in the possession of such Officers at the happening of such 
"' vacancy, until the next meeting of the General Society which shall 
■■ thereafter be held." 

At the Triennial meeting of the Genci'al Society held in Phila- Vhiptaim 
delphia 2d May, 1860, it was'~ ' t^^kty'"^ 

" ll(')i')lved. That one or nmre chaplains Ije appointed." 

Since then General ( 'liaplains have been periodically chosen to 
perform the ustuil chaplaincy duties and accorded the privileges of the 
floor, but not thereby entitled to participate in the deliberations of a 
General meeting unless accredited in a State Representation. 



At the First meeting of the General Society, as provided in the Kumbir if 

Institution, held in Philadelphia, 4th May, 178-1, His Excellency Gen- po/nt,,g''j^y' 

eral Washington beinn' in the chair, it was State Societiex 

and mode of 

" Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to receive and I'.redsniMs. 

examine the credentials of the delegates to this meeting and report." j-^, 

25 



^'^'- At tlie first Triomiial iiicctiui;- nf the General Society, lield in the 

State House, Pliiladelpliia, li'tli May, 17^7, ('reJentials were prodticed, 
read and tiled, wlierebv it appeared tliat tiie Massachtisetts State Society 
had ap]iiiint.ed seven delegates, " any three to be a representation." Xo 
iiKire than the last ntnnber aflended tiMiii that State. No Committee 
on ('redentials was appointed. 

Vur the same Triennial nieetinii' credentials were, (in the IStli ^lay, 
17s7, priidueed by ('olonel Alexander llaniiltun, and read and tiled, 
showing that the Xew Yfirk State Society had appointed si.\ delegates, 
" any two of whom to be a representation," but Colonel Hamilton alone 
attended. The record of proceedings of the names of the six original 
members delegated tn represent the Xew York State Society contains 
also this declaration, innnediately following the names of siicli dele- 
gates: "Five only can sit per Institntion." 

^'^^- At the Special meeting of the General Society held in rhiladelphia. 

yth -May, 178S. no cunnnittee was appointed and it appeared, by the 
credentials filed, that the Xew York State Society had appointed seven 
delegates, any two of whom should lx> a quornm. or sufficient representa- 
tion. Only one, however, attended. 

'^■"*- At the Triennial nieefing held there -Md May, 1790, credentials 

were again merely read and filed, but at the Special meeting held there. 
2(1 J\la,\-, 17111, a committee was a)ipi>iniei]. mi niitinn. tn examine 
credentials. 

^^^^- Fmm thencefiirth, at Tri(_'nnial nr Special meetings of the Gent-ral 

Society, credentials were only read and filed, until the Special meeting 
held in Philadelphia, 29th Xovembcr, IMs, when a committee was 
appointed to examine credentials. 

1851. -^t the Special meeting of the General Society held in the City of 

Xew Y(n'k, Tth May, 1851. a committee, on motiim to that effect, was 
ap]i(.inted liy the President-General to examine credentials which 
rejjorted. among others, that the Massachusetts State Society had 
appointed six delegates, Pennsylvania six, ami Maryland nine. The 
six delegates from Pennsylvania, and alsd the Assistant Secretary- 
General, who was a member frnni that State Society, althougli not a 
delegate, were present. Xo other State Society liad more than twc 
delegates present. 

Tender the express limitation of the Institution, only the i\yc 

2fi 



named iis delegates,, in order of precedence, who were actually present, 
constituted the Representation from the State meeting, and the 
remainder were alternate delegates to fill vacancies and thus keeji the 
Representation complete. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore, jgg^ 
17th 3Jay, 1854, the committee appointed, on motion to that effect, to 
examine cre<lentials, reported eight as the nundjer of delegates accred- 
ited by the ilaryland State Society. Xo State Society, however, had 
present more than five delegates. 

At the Special meeting of the General Society held in Charleston, i855. 
S. C, 7th February, 1855, the committee, appointed by the President- 
General to verify the credentials of delegates, reported that the Soutli 
Carolina State Society had " duly appointed " six delegates, Maryland 
eigiit, and Pennsylvania six. None of the other State Societies had 
appointed over three, and no une Representation present during the 
sessions exceeded five delegates. 

At the Special meeting of the General Society lield in Trenton, 1856. 
21st ]\ray. 1850, the committee, appointed on motion, to examine 
credentials, repurted, among others, the names of six delegates as '' duly 
appointed '" by the Pennsylvania State Society. No State Society was, 
however, represented by more than four delegates during the session. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Boston, ISA?. 
27th May, 1857, it appeared, by the credentials filed, that the Massa- 
chusetts State Society had appointed ten representatives and Maryland 
seven. Xone of the other State Societies had appointed over five. The 
ten representatives from Massachusetts, hereditary members, including 
the Honnralile Franklin Pierce, ex-President of the TTnited States, were 
present. 

The committee appointed by the President-General, on motion to 
that eflfect, to examine credentials of delegates, reported that they had 
"been regularly appointed," and remarked as follows: 

'■ The Societies of Massachusetts and Maryland have appointed a 
" larger nundx'r of delegates than that prescribed by the Constitution, 
" viz., five. 

■' The committee are, however, advised that the five gentlemen who 
" are first named on the Massachusetts delegation have been authorized 



27 



'■ to represent tluil State, ainl iliat the number in attendance frcan Mary- 
■■ land i.s less than that preserihed by the ( 'unstittitinn."' 

The five alternates in the Massachusetts Representation, altliongh 
not participating in the deliberations, were accorded the unquestioned 
privileges of the floor. 

I860. At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Phila- 

delphia, '2d May, ISGO, the Connuittee on Credentials, appointeil by the 
President-General, on motion to that effect, reported, among others, 
as '■ regularly appointed," the names of six delegates from the Tifassa- 
chusetts State Society and six from Maryland. The full nuudicr from 
either of the?e States did not, however, atten<l. 

"^*''^* At the Triennial meetings of the General Society of ISC'), lS(i6 

'•''*''''• and 1869, credentials were, on motion, duly examined liy a ('nmmittee 

1869. appointed for the juirpose. 

1872. At the 'J'riennial meetings, however, of 1872 and 1675, erou'eutials 

1875. V. ere nierelv read and tiled. 



1878. 



At the Triennial meeting of 1S7S, a Gommittee was again, (rii mo- 
tion, ap[ioiuted. 

1881, At the Triennial meeting of the General Society, held in Charles- 

ton, S. C, loth April, 1881, the Committee on Credentials, appointed 
by the President-General, on motion to that effect, reported, among 
others, five delegates and two alternates as ajipointed by the South 
Carolina State Society, and five didegates and one alternate by the Xew 
Jersey State Society. 

Rhode Island ha<l also accredited fi\e delegates and five ahernates. 

In each of these instances, one of the alternates, by reason of the 
absence of a delegate, became for all purposes a delegate and performed 
such duties. 

The remaining alternates were not present, so that tIh- ivpresenta- 
tion of delegates and' alternates from any State Society did not in all 
( xceed five, 

l''*f<4 At the Triennial meeting of the General Society, hidd in Princeton, 

N. J., 14th May, 1884, the Committee on Credentials, appr>inted 
by the President-General, on motion to that effect, reported, among 
others, five delegates and five alternates as ap]iointed by the Rhode 
Island State Society, and five delegates and six alternates by the Xew 
Jersey State Society. 

28 



Ill the first ciisc, the five delegates auil two of the alternates 
atteiiiled. the latter, although not partieipatiiig in the ncliljerations, 
having the usual privileges of the floor. 

In the second case, as one of the delegates had died after appnint- 
iiient. and aimther one was pi-evented h_y his judicial duties from attend- 
ing, two of the alt:ernates succeeded ti> the vacancies and completed the 
number of delegates. 

Xi) other alternates attended. 

At the Triennial meetings of the General Society of 188 (, 1890, j^qq" 
1893, 1.S96. 1899 and 1902, credentials were read, and being found 1993. 

1 SQ(^ 

regular were filed — without appi)iiitment of anv committee of exam- isdO. 

■ ,• ' nm. 

mation. 

At all these General meetings alternates were accredited by State 
Societies. 

From a review of these precedents it is tn be collected: 

First — That the General Society itself assumes to pass upon the MeiuU of 

credentials of delegates and alternates, and to appoint committees of ^^X^"*'"'^ 

examination thereon when deemed necessary, but that ordinarily when Vredentiah, 

credentials are found prima facie regiilar, they are only read and filed. ;««/. 

Second — That hj reason of the Institution providing that the Gen- Authoriud 
eral Society shall consist of its General officers and a Representation delegntes,iini! 

from everv State Societv in numlx'r not excecdino- five, no State Societv >it"fii>'ofal- 

"- ' _ " te mates. 

can have a gTeater number of deles'ates than five, and if a greater 

nnnilier are accredited without the credentials specifying whether they 

are delegates or alternates, only the fii'st five named will be entitled to 

be delegates. 

As a State Society may, however, desire to keep a full Representa- 
tion in the General meeting, who will he. conversant with the current 
business therein, a reasonable number of alternates may be accredited, 
who will be entitled to the privileges of the floor, unless the General 
Society, for special reasons, may detennine differently. Such alternates 
will succeed, in the order of precedence, as accredited', to continuous 
vacancies which may occur in their respective State Representations, but 
until then will not have tlie right of participation in any of the 
jiroceedings. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society, held in the Senate Ordinnnce us 
Chamber State House, IN'ewport. R. I., 28th July,"l887, an Ordinance '^ Alternate,. 

29 



was vinanimoiisly aduiitcil dL'tiiiiiig- tlie rights and privileges of alternates, 
as follows : 

Okdixaxce. 

■■ Be it orildiiwil hij (he General iSocicty of the Cineinnuli, 
■' 'I'hat in acconlance witli tlie prescriptive usage of General 
" meetings, anv State Society may accredit not more than five 
*■ alternates to its Kepresentatiiin to any meeting of the Gen- 
" eral Society, who siiali he entitled to the privileges of the 
" lloor, and shall, when vacancies occtir, from any cause, 
'■ among the delegates in such Representation, succeed t" such 
' vacancies res2:)ectiv(!ly in the numerical order in which 
■■ accredited." 



DHcgaUs to At the Triennial meeting nt the (icncral Societv, held in Pliila- 

^S. elclphia,sthMay,183S,itwas' 

irlieii chosen. 

'■ Resolved, That the ditl'erent Stat(^ Societies of the Cincinnati be 

ii-(iucsted annually to appoint delegates to attend any meeting that may 

be called."' 

T'l-m 'if At the Triennial meeting (if the Cieneral Society, held in Baltimore, 

State d>ckty Md., 9th May, 1890, upon recommemlation and rejiort of a Special 

Hepmentit- Committee, it was unanimouslv 
tion. 

■' Ticsolved, That in the opinion of the Gencu-al Society, whenever a 

"Representation thereto shall be a])]iointe(l or chosen by any State 

" Society, the Institution conteni])lates that s\u'h Representation and 

" the several members thereof shall continue in their respective authori- 

" ties as such Representation until their successors shall be duly 

'' apjiointed .ir diosen by such State Society." 



Qmruuifor ^^t the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Phila 

fjumne"!! 

any Oei 

Meeting, 



business at deli)hia. r)th ]\rav, 1S29, it was 
any General 



" Resolved, That such State Societies and oilicers of the General 
Society as convene in General meetings, shall be competent to transact 

Iiusincss. ■■ 



•By a prior resolve ot the Hth May. 17S7, the General Society required a Representation 
from seven State Societies in order to constitute a quorum for business. The eventual disso- 
lution, however, ot several of the State Societies (which had not previously been foreseen) 
made it necessary to modify this regulation, otherwise the objects ot a General meeting would 
have been defeated. 

For the election of General ofBcers. a quorum ot State Representations was not deemed 
necessary, and it was so declared at the Triennial meeting held in Philadelphia Sth May 17il9 



HO 



At the First meeting of the General Soc-ietv hekl in Phihidelphia, yt'ntnei-of 
° ■ voting ill 

6th May, 17S4, it was nnaniniously Geiieml 

Soeiety. 
" Resolved, That the niamier of voting be by the Representation i^*^''- 

of each State Society." 

General Washington had been chosen lyth Jnne, ITSo, by the Con- 
vention of officers, "to officiate as President-General until the first Gen- 
eral meeting," and the other General officers had been chosen for a like 
term. Consequently there were no General officers for the meeting of 
1784, but General Washington was unanimously chosen as Chairman 
and presided accordingly, and was re-elected President-General, lotli 
May, 1784. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Philadel- 1"87. 
phia, 14th May, 1787, it was voted that " all questions shall be decided 
by a majority of State Representations jiresent." 

There was Init one General oflicer then present, and as he was 
accredited as a delegate in liis State Representation and acted as such, 
his office duties were performed by an officer chosen ad interim. 

From the close of the General meeting of 1784 to the Triennial 
meeting of 1851 there is no record of a vote by State Representations 
except in one instance at the adjourned Triennial meeting held in 
Philadelphia, 5th May, ISOO. 

At tiie Special meeting of the General Society held in Philadel- 1848. 
phia, 29th November, 1848, the question was formally presented as to 
whether the General Society did not '" consist of its officers and a 
Representation from eacli State Society," and a committee was 
appointed to report at tlie next Triennial meeting on the subject. Mean- 
while it was I'esolved for that particular meeting that '' in all questions 
to be decided," every State Society should be entitled to cast three votes, 
and each General officer one vote, and a majority of all the votes cast 
should be necessai'y to a decision. 

Finally at the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Ordinance oj 

the City of New York, 7th May, 1851, the following Ordinance was fJ^t^.Zltby 

reiiorted bv a committee and unanimously adopted, viz. : Oeiieral Offi- 

cers and 



Ordi.yaxce. 

" Be it ordained hy the General Society of the C'iwin- 
•' nati, That all the elections of the officers of this Society shall 

31 



Delegates. 



"be bv ballipt. ami rliat in -iich ek-etiuiis cac-b Represoiitatioii 
" pi-cscnt from a State Society sball be entitled to east five 
" votes ; and eaeb of tl)e officers of tbc General Society wbo 
'■'sball bo jiresont. sball be entitled to cast one vote; and tbe 
■■ majority of all tbe votes tbns cast sball be necessary to an 
'■ election. 

" And he it further ordained, Tbat in tbe decision of 
■■ all resolutions and questions submitted to tbe action of tbe 
'■ General Society, tbc vote sball ( ujnni tbe request of any 
" delegate from a Stat* Society or of any otbcer present) be 
" taken in tbe follo\ving manner, viz. : Eacb Repi'esentation 
'■ present from a State Society sball be entitled to cast live 
'■'votes; and eacb of tbe officers of tbe General Society, wbo 
'■ sball be present, sball be entitled to cast one vote ; and a 
■■ majority of all tbe votes tbns cast sball be necessary for an 
■' affirmative decision. 

" And upon any (juestion tbns brougbt to a vote, tbe ayes 
" and nays sball be entered on tbe mimites, at tbe desire of 
'■ any tbi'ce members [u-esent. wbetber delegates or officers'." 

Vierit'i. At tbe Triennial meeting' of tbe General Societv beld in Boston, 

1872 . . ■" . ■ 

-■^idtb May, 1S72, it was decided that, by imaniinous consent, an election 

of an officer could lie beld by viva voce vote instead of by ballot. 

Ordiiiiince of 

^^^'- At the Triennial nieetino- of tbe General Societv beld in Xewport, 

votttifjin tiro ' , , ' 

nipichiej*. R- I-> 28tb July. 18ST, tbe following Ordinance was rejwrted by a 
conimittee and unanimously adopted, viz.: 

Ordinance. 

" Be if ordained by the General Society of the Ciucin- 
" nali, Tbat when any General officer sball be accredited in 
" tbe Representation of any State Society to any General 
'■ meeting, and sball act in sncb Representation, such General 
"officer sball not have a vote except in sncb Representation, 
"and tbe Ordinance of Ttb ^Fny. 18.51, is bereby amended 
" accordinglv." 



Privilegen of 

theflonr, hoir At tlie Triennial meeting of tbe (icncral Society beld in tbe City 

of New York, lOtb ^iay, 1809, upon report of tbe Standing Executive 

C'ommittee, it was nnanimously 

32 



" Resolved, That hereafter the privileges of the floor shall not be 
" accorded to auy others than the General officers, Delegates and 
" Alternates in General meeting assembled ; provided, however, that this 
" resolve shall not prevent the attendance of necessary messengers and 
" stenogTaphic reporter." 



and how 
kept. 



At ihe first meeting of the General Society held in Philadelphia 
7tli May, 1TS4, it was 

" Resolved, That the President-General of the meeting of the Gin- ThePrendent 

cinnati for the time being shall ever be considered ex-officio a member officio ?««»*- 

of all committees, and have a rielit to debate and vote therein whenever beroj allcom- 
he may think proper to attend." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Boston, 
Mass., 30th May, 1872, it was 

" Resolved, That the Treasurer-General be directed to have the Funds of the 
1 T ■ 1 ri 1 T 1 1 • in- • 1-1 j: Oeneral Soci- 

l nited States bonds belonging to the Society registered m the name oi ety, where 

the Treasurer-General and Assistant Treasurer-General, as Trustees of 

this Society, with autliority to either of them to receive the interest on 

the same." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City 
of ISTcw York, 13th May, 1875, the fdllowing resolutions were adopted: 

" Resolved, That the Treasurer-General be directed to 
" deposit the current receipts of money from the Society's 
" funds in such bank as he may select, with the concurrence of 
" the President-General, to the credit of the General Society 
" of the Cincinnati, subject to the draft of the Treasurer- 
" General for the time being, or, in case of his death, of the 
" Assistant Treasurer. 

" Resolved. Tiiat tlie United States lx>nds belonging to 
" the Society, and any other securities which may hereafter 
" l>e acquired, be invested in the joint names of the Treasurer- 
" General and Assistant Treasurer-General, as Trustees, witli 
" the right of siirvivorship, and that in case of any change in 
" either of these officers, from death or other cause, that the 
" said bonds and' securities l>e transferred (from time to time) 
" to the actual officers alwve named, and immediately upon 
" the appointment of a now Trustee all investments of the 

33 



" Society'!^ securities shall be traii.sl'errt'J in the joint luiuies 
■■ of the theu existing Trustees, as joint tenants."* 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society lieM in ('harlestou, 
S. C, 13th April, 1881, it was 

" Besolved, That the Treasurer-General and the Assistant Treas- 
urer-General for the time Iwing be and are herebv authorized, in their 
discretion, to dispose of the whole or any part of the Inited States 
bonds held for the Society, and invest the proceeds in bond ami mortgage 
or other real securities, in their joint names as joint tenants, and not as 
tenants in connnon, and the survivor of them, or their or his successors.'' 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in I'rinceton, 
X. J., 15th May, ISS-i, is was 

^' Eesolred, That the Treasurer-General lie authorized to hire a 
box in the safety vault of the Bank of Xew York, in wliich to keep the 
securities of the General Society, at a cost not to exceeil twenty dollars 
per annum." 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltiniore, 
.Md., 7th May, 1890, it was 

Investments " Bc'.soJh-edj That as the bonds of the United States now held by 

%e^ewm[ *e General Society will be paid off before the next Triennial meeting, 
the Treasurer-General be and hereby is authorize<l to deposit the pro- 
ceeds thereof in the Xew York Life Insurance and Trust Company of 
Xew York, to the order of the General Society of the Cincinnati, and 
that the same may be invested in such trust securities, or in bond and 
mortgage on first-class property in Xew York City, at not less than four 
and one-half per cent., as may be suggested by the President-General, 
the Treasurer-General and' the Secretarv-General." 



Expenses of At nearly evei-y meeting of the General Society, beginning with 

{T-finp/i'/i?, 

Meetings,fiow ^^I'^t 5i^l*i in Philadelphia, 19th Maj', 1787, it has been customary to 
defrayed. make, by resolve, a stated equal assessment on every State Society to 

defi-ay the expenses of the General Society. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltinu.ire, 
:\rd., 18th May, 1854, it was 

•This rule was a substitute for that adopted at the Special meeting held in Philadelphia 
on the 30th November, 1S4S. which required all investments to be in the names of three 
trustees, one of whom shall be the Treasurer General. 

34 



" Resolved, Tliac in future the expenses of the General uaeetings of p'""*^'!? 
tlie Society be borne in e(iual proportions by the State Societies whether thereon. 
represented or not." 

Under this Kegulation every State Society is obligated, on notice 
from the Secretary -General, to pay its equal proportion of the expenses 
f.f any meeting. 

When, however, the General Society, for a particular meeting, 
directs a fixed assessment, such direction, for the time Ix^ing, supplies 
the place of the Regulation. 



At the Ti'iennial meeting of the General Societv held in Boston on 



'& 



the liyth May, 1872, it was 

'• Resolved, That at the Triennial meetings of the Society * * Expenses of _ 

the expenses of the officers be defrayed out of the fund of the General rera, how 

Society ; Provided, That the expenses of any such officers be not paid if P"*^' 
be or they be delegates fi'om the State Societies." 

As to the Representation from every State Society, in number not 
exceeding five, the Institution prescribes tliat their " expenses shall be 
borne by their respective State Societies." 

At the Special meeting of the General Society held in Trenton, 
22d May, 1856, it was 

" Resolved, That the expenses of the Secretary-General for print- f^J's'-''t"iy 
ing, etc., contingent on the proceedings of the Society, be defrayed from Germ-al. 
the Treasury of the Society." 

As there were, necessarily, other disbursements incurred not con- 
tingent upon a particular General meeting, the General Society, at the 
adjoiirned Triennial meeting held in Boston, Mass., 16th June, 1893, 
unanimously 

" Resolved, That the Treasurer-General be and hereby is author- 
ized and directed to pay, on presentation to him, all accounts and bills 
of the Secretary-General for disbursements or expenses already or here- 
after made or incurred by the Secretary-General, upon the certificate 
of approval of the Secretary-General and the present Auditing Com- 
mittee, and that this shall be a standing resolution imtil otherwise 
ordered." 

35 



Auditing 
Committee. 



Miirutei< of 
General So- 
ciety meet- 
ings. 



Mover (if II 
motion. 



Designation 
of iiiemhem. 



Record of 
Election of 
Oeneriil 
Officers. 



The Troceediugs uf the General iSueiety for the l:^th -May, ITbT, 
2Tth May, 1857, and euntinuuusly at Triennial meetings since the last- 
named date, show the appointment uf Auditing Committees, to examine 
and audit the Funds and Accounts of the (ieneral Society. 



The method of keeping the minutes of the proceedings of meetings 
of the General Society has followed parliamentary practice. 

On several occasions temporary directions have been given which 
have expired by limitation. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City 
of New York, 14th May, 18C3, it was 

" Resolved, That the name of the mover of a motion alone need 
be recorded, and not tliat of the person who seconded it." 

(At the Triennial nieetiui;- of tiie General Society held in Hartford, 
Conn., ITtli .Tune, 1!>0:.', this r(-;iilution was repeated.) 

On the same day, 14th ]\Iay, 1803, it was also 

"Resolved. That the resolution adopted on the 7th February, 
18,55, whereby it was Ordered, ' That hereafter no other title than that 
of Mr. be used in designating members in the miniites of the General 
Society,' be and the same is hereby rescinded." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Philadcl- 
]ihia, 15th May, 1890, the following resolution was unanimously 
adopted : 

" Resolved, That hereafter, in the record of proceedings of elec- 
" tion of General officers, nominations shall not be entered nor partic- 
" ular votes given, and only the fact of election recorded of the officer 
"elected, except when, by inianimous consent, the rule is suspended." 



Dimensions At the Triennial meeting (jf the General Society held in Baltimore, 

"piMicaUons ^'''^ ''^'^ ^^'i.^'- 1"^^' the following Ordinance was, on report of a Sjiecinl 

of t/tr General Committee, and with a view to secure uniformitv in dimensions for the 
Society, and . , . ,. . . ', , -, . 

State Socie- purposes ot binding and presentation, uuaimously adopted, viz.: 
ties. 

Ordinance. 

"Br if ordnbu'd by the General Society of fhe Cincin- 
" nati . That hereafter all printed publications of every kind 



36 



'■ issued by or for tlie use of tlie General Society or by the 
" several State Societies be of uniform size, namely, that 
" usually known as octavo, the pages to measure eleven inches 
" in length by seven inches in width, suitable for binding." 



The Institution required that, at the tirst annual meeting of every Fublicntionx 

State Society, the Secretary thereof should prepare a list of its members %,fi^,ly''^i,^_,_ 

and transmit a copy "to the Secretary-General to be kept in the Onli/m /irrs. 

archives of the Society," and that, from the State lists, the Secretary- lists of 'Mnn- 

General should "' make out, at the first General meeting, a complete list ''^gXurf'"^''' 
of the whole Society, with a copy of which he will furnish each State 
Secretary." 

This procedure was subsequently continued. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Bostim, 
Mass., 30th ]\ray., 1872, it was 

" Resolved, That the Eules and Ordinances of the Society, together 
with a list of the existing officers and members of the several State Soci- 
eties and their address, be compiled by the Secretary-General, with the 
coucurrence of the President-General, and published in pamishlet form 
for the use of the Society, tlie expense thereof to lie paid from the 
funds in the hands of the Treasurer-General." 

'No action having teen taken under this resolve in C(jnsequence of 
the decease of the Secretary-General, the subject was referred, at the 
next Triennial meeting of 12th j\Iay, 1875, ti) a committee, which, how- 
ever, did nothing. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in I'hiladel- 
pliia, 1.5th May, 1896, it was imanimously 

■' Resolccd, That hereafter it shall be a standing Regulation that 
" the Secretary-General, for every Triennial meeting, have printed the 
" roll of the General Society, comprising the General Officers and 
" Eepresentatives from the several State Societies, together with a list 
" of Officers* and Hereditary and Honorary Members of the several 
"State Societies as existing to date of publication, together \\\\X\ a 
" necroloaical list since the Inst Triennial General meeting." 



♦The Institution requires tliat " each State meeting shall write annually, or oftener, if 
' necessary, a circular letter to the State Societies, noting whatever they may tliinlv worthy 
' of observation respecting the good of the Society, or the general Union of the States, and 
' giving information of the officers chosen for the current year: copies of these letters shall 
' be regularly transmitted to the Secretary General of the Society, who will record them in a 
' book to be assigned for that purpose." 



37 



Publication 
of Oenernl 
Society pro- 
refdiiips. 



At tlic 'rrit'imial iiicftiiig of tlio General Society held in Priuf-eton, 
N. J., on The J4tli .May, lss4, it was 

" Jicsolri'd, That the |)roceedings of the General Society from its 
organization be prepai'ed for publication by the Secretary-General, and 
that he cause the same to be printed, the amount paid therefor to be 
subject to the approval of the President-General, and that, when printed, 
copies thereof be distributed among the State Societies in the ratio of 
the number of their members." 



At the 'rrifiinial meeting of the General Society held in the City 
of New York, on the loth May, 1st)."!, it was 

Pre.mrmti/ii( " /i'''-'<"^'''"'/. Tliat the Secretary -General be authorized to liave 

of SigmHures \)q\x\u\ in a iiroiicr form for tiieir preservation the lists of ()rii;inal 

to Institution . ^ ' r i /-1 i o • " 

of Original Signatures in the archives of the General Society. 
Menihern. 



At the Triennial meeting <if the General Society held in Palti- 
iiioi-c, Md., '.•til May. ISSMI, upiiii report of a Special Committee, it was 
nnaniiiiously 

Dei-ease of " i^t^solved, That in the event of the death of any officer or member 

General 'ojfi- ,,f flie Kejiresentation in the General Society, the Secretary-General 

egates, dc, shall [jublish a suitable notice and notify the members of the General 

SoeMu'^hot Society of such decease and, when practicable, of the time and place 

piihlished. of the obsequies." 



Diplomas of 
nwmbersJtip 
how insiicl. 



At the Convention of officers of the American Army, which recon- 
vened in the " Public Building," at the Cantonments on the Hudson, 
liifh .Tune, 17S3, presided over by Major-General Baron de Steiiben, 
Inspector-General, the Institution as first formulated 10th May, 1783, 
was amended and it was resolved that a diploma on parchment " he 
given to each and every memlier of the Society." 

P"i-i" "f At the First meetinsi- of the General Society held in Philadelphia, 

xettled upon, ' /. r^, . t ^< ' • i ^• i 

and pradiee ITth ^fay, lv84, on report of a Special Committee, the wording and 
thereunder. ^^^^.^^^ ,,f gueh diploma was approved. 

Diplomas were thereafter, for a number of years, issued to Original 
and Hereditary members, including Foreign members, and the same 
were duly authenticated by President-General Washing-ton and by 
^la jor-Geueral Tleiirv Kimx, Secretarv-(ieneral. 



38 



A number of dijiloinas for meniliers in the French Navy were n^^^^^^ 

signed bv President-General Washinotun, but not signed by Secretary- diplomas for 
^ ■ "^ 1 • ■ 1 i: 1 Foreign mem- 

General Knox, and remained m the archives unissued on account of the bera, how 

progress of the French Revolution, dispersion of the French members, "■■^^i^enticated. 
and want of postal facilities. 

One of these diplomas was prepared for M. Pedro-Claudio Du 
(^uesne, Marquis Du Quesne, a French member, who had been a lieu- 
tenant de vaisseau, commanding a French cutter on the American Coast 
in the War of the Revolution, and who was eventually promoted to the 
grade of Rear Admiral. After his decease, his eldest son, Sr. Pedro Du 
(Quesne y Rustan de Estrada, Marquis Du Quesne, applied to the iSTew 
York State Society and was duly admitted to hereditary membership, 
-tth July, 1S50, and his name placed on the roll of licreditary members, 
where it remained and was annually ]iublished until after his decease, 
4th July. issn. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore, igmance 

.\l<l., irth ifav, 1854, Dr. Edward P. ilarcelliu, secretarv in and dele- '""/^'j''^'- 
' ■ J > . . . '. . Method 

gate from the Xew York State Society of the Cincinnati, ''made apj^li- preserHied. 
cation for the diploma of the Marquis Du Quesne, whose representa- 
tive has been admitted to membership in the New York State Society," 
whereupon, after consideration of the correspondence on the subject, on 
motion. ■■ the Secretary-General was authorized to countersign the 
original diploma of the Marquis Du Quesne, and deliver it to the 
Secretary of the Xew York State Society." 

Subsequently, in 1880, M. le Comte de Galbert, of Grenoble, 
France, grand nephew and representative of M. le Vicomte de Galbert, 
who had been an othcer in the French Navy in service on the American 
Coast ill the War of the Re\-olution and duly admitted a member of the 
Cincinnati in France with express consent of Louis XV I., applied to 
the Secretary-General for his great uncle's diploma then in the archives, 
authenticated only by the signature of President-General Washington. 

Accordingly, at the Triennial meeting of the General Society held 
in Xewport, R. T., 28th July, 1887, it was 

'' Resolved. That the Secretary-General may authenticate the standing 
diploma of il. le Vicomte de Galbert by countersigning the same, and ffi^"f„^"'^ 
inserting in such authentication the date thereof and the statement that 
it is ' By order ' of the General Society, and may forward such diploma 

39 



to his proi)er rei3reseiitative, and that tins course shall hereafter be pur- 
sued in any future apjdicatious of like eharaeter." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore, 
Md., Oth May, 1S!»0, upon report of a Sjieeial Connnittee, the following 
Ordinance was nininimously adopted, viz. : 

Ordinaxck. 

■■ Be it ordained l/ij llic Uciicral Soi-icti/ of the Vinrin- 
'■ nati, That a DiiDlonia or Certiticate of membership in the 
" Society of the Cincinnati shall be issued to any member of 
" the Society who may apply therefor, upon tiling with the 
■' Secretary-General a certificate signed by the President and 
" Secretary of the State Society wherein such inemlier may be 
" enrolled, certifying that such member has been duly and 
" regularly admitted to membership in that State Society. 

" Such diploma shall be in the form prescribed by the 
" ordinance of the 17th May, 1784, and duly authenticated by 
'' the President-General and Secretary-General, ami shall, after 
" the mendjcr's nam(>, recite whom he rejiresents, unless the 
'■ member has been admitted to honorary membership, in 
" which case, in place of such recital, there shall be endorsed 
" on the margin of such diploma the words ' Ilonurnnj 
" Meinhrr.' 

" Such dijdoma shall be furnished by the Secretary- 
" General at a unifoi-m price as near as may be the average 
" cost of preparation and transmission of the same.'' 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore, 
Md., 9th May, 1890, upon report of a Special Committee, it was unani- 
mously 

Emphniiiuiit " Jiesolved, That the Secretary-General be ami is hereby 

of Steiiogra- authorized, in the discharge of his ofKcial duties, to ennilov 

p/icr, rfr., - _ 

iijid preserm- tlie services of a stenographer and typewriter whenever he 

ArchileK. ro'i.y ^^^ tli^ same necessary, and to purchase a safe, or to 

hire a safe in a Safe Deposit Company for the secure custody 

of the archives of the General Society. 

" That Ihe Treasurer-General lie and he is hereby author- 
ized to pay for the same out of the funds of the General Society 

■JO 



upon tlie presentation to him, from time to time, of requisi- 
tions by the Seerctnrv-Ceneral thcrcfcir." 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Philadel- 
phia on tlie lOth May, 17S7, it was . 

■ Ti I 7 mi 1 o r-i 1 • • ; -'n i medium of 

'" Kesoived, ihat the becretary-Cjenerai write answers to all such Communica 

letters as may require attention, and concerning; which no order has been ''f't'^ • /*' 

taken." 



At the First meeting of the General Society held in Philadelphia AcUoflncor- 
cn the 4th May, 1784, it was recommended that " the several State ^t^^'f"„'i/sl 
meetings shall, at suitable periods, make applications to their respective cktieK. 
Legislatures for grants of charters." 

At the S{wcial meeting of the General Society held in Philadcliihia 
on the 5th May, 1791, this recommendation was repeated. 

The only State Societies which, while component parts of the Insti- 
tution, became incorporated in consequence of these reconunondations 
were Massachusetts, inlSOG; Rhode Island, in 1814; Pennsylvania, in 
1792, and South Carolina, in 1824. 

The first two namod were incorporated- by special acts of their 
respective State Legislatures, which specifically recognized in the acts of 
incorporation the Institution of the Cincinnati. I^one have been dis- 
solved, but have continued to be legal entities and corjiorate bodies since 
the dates of their respective incorporations. 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society hold in Baltimore, Betur/w and 
V.i\., 9th :\Iay, 1890, upon report of a Special Committee, it was unani- statTsacL 
mously ■ ties. 

"' Bcsolved, That it shall be the duty of each Secretary 
" of a State Society, as soon as practicable after the annual 
" meeting of such Society, to transmit to the Secretary-General 
" the full names and directions of all new members admitted 
" at such meeting, together with a statement as to whom they 
" respectively represent and their relations to their respective 
" Prpepositii ; also a necrolog-ical list of the meml^ers who have 
" died during the preceding ' Cincinnati year,' with the date 
" and place of birth and decease and biographical sketches as 
" far as practicable." 



41 



li^jMiis of ji^i (jjp 'J'riemiial iiicetiiii:- of the (ieiicnil Society lielil in Bostmi, 

tunas ana ' • 

lienejifiaries Ma.ss., :^9th ]\lav, 1.^72. it was 

by State 

Sr^rkties. •■ Resolved, 'J'hat each State Society be requested by the proper 

officer to report to the Treasurer of the Geueral Society the amount of 

Us funds invested, the luunber of its beneticiaries and the sums annually 

distriljuted among them." 

This was fol]o^yed by a resolve of the General Society at the Tri- 
ennial meeting held in Philadelphia, 22d May, 1S78, which directed 
the Treasurers of the different State Societies to make such i-cport in 
writing to the Triennial meeting. 

Later at the Triennial meeting of the General Sdi-iety hehl in 
Charleston, S. C on the 13th April. IBS], it was 

" Ordered, That reports from the resjiective State Societies be fur- 
iiislicd to the Seeretary-Cieneral of the amount of ' Permanent Fund'' at 
par; numlx'r of Beneficiaries and average amount jiaid I" each." 



f/iiin rl of de- 
remif 'if every 
mmnhi'r. 



Heportri- Ai the 1'riennial meeting of tin- tieneral Society held in Philadel- 

phia, inth May, 1S9C, it was unanimously 

" Resolved, That when a member nf any State Society shall die, the 
" Secretary tif the State Society in which such niendier shall have been 
" enrolled shall promptly communicafc to the Secretary-General the fact, 
" with date and place of decease." 



Rejected ap- At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Philadel- 

mem'jei-shtp, phia, 13th IMay, 189G, upon the report and reconnnemlatinn of the 

duty of Seere- Sf;^i,flii,o- Executive Committee, it was unanimously 
t(iry. ^ . 

"Resolved. That in the upinicm nf the General Society, when an 

" ap]dicant shall be declared ineligible to membership in any State 

'■ Society, tinder any claim, the facts should be promptly communicated 

" to- the Secretaries of the several State Societies, together Avith the 

" grounds of stich action, in order that siudi claim nuiy not be again pre- 

" fcrred without notice." 

Jieeeptionof At the Trii'unial meeting of the General Society held in the Senate 

,■,;■/,/ ' Chamlier, State House, Newport, R. I., 2Tth July, 1887, the Society of 

the Cincinnati in the State of Rhode Island and' Providence Plantations 
having e.\pres.sed a desire to welcome officially the General Society to 
that State, was, ujion resolve, fdruuilly i-eceived with ap]U'o]iriate cere- 
monies, ihe State Society having entered in ]UMcessi(in with its officers, 

42 



and taken ])osition witlmnt the Ear, while its Representation in the 
General .Sdeiety procceiled tn their jireper seats. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the Mary- 
land Historical Society rooms, in the City of Baltimore, 7tli May, 1800, 
the Maryland State Society was in like manner received, and at the Tri- 
ennial meeting of the General Society held in the Senate Chamber, State 
House, in the City of Boston, Mass., 14th June, 1893, the Massachusetts 
State Society was in like manner received. 

At the Triennial meetings of the General Society held in the City 
of riiiladeli^hia, 13th May, 1896; in the City of New York, lOtli :May, 
1899, and in the City of Hartforu, I7th June, 1902, the ceremony was 
identical in the formal reception of the Pennsylvania, ISTew York and 
Connecticut State Societies respectively. 



At the Triennial meeting of the General S<iciety held in Newport, Order of the 
[., 28th ,1 
adopted, viz. : 



E. I., 28th July, 1SS7, the following Ordinance was unanim.iuslv S,^f^'fl/' '"'" 
' ' '^ ' Worn. 



Ordinaxce. 

" Be it ordained hij fhe General Soeiety of the Cineinnad: 
" That the Insignia of the Order may l>e worn by the members 
" suspended by the ribbon romid the neck, or attached to the 
" left lapel of the coat or on the left breast of the coat, as each 
■' member may prefer, but it shall not be displayed in any 
" other manner upon the person of any mend>er, and never 
■' unless attached to the ribbon." 

At the Triennial meeting of the tieneral Suciety li(dd in Hartford', o,,^j,,. ^^ j^. 

Conn.. ITtb June, lOOl', it was nnanimouslv worn at all 

General So- 

■' Bcsolvrd, That at all meetings of the General Society every mem- f'^^^[ ' 

^' ber thereof shall wear the authorized Eagle and TJibbon of the Order 

" upon the left breast." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore, Further 
Md., 9th May, 1890, upon report of a Special Committee, the following ^^^^jf'"' 
additifinal Ordinance was unanimously adojited, viz.: 

Ordinaxge. 

" Be it ordained hy the General Society of the Cincinnati, 
" That the ribbon of the Order wlien worn on the left breast or 

4.'? 



" left la])el of the coat, shall have a displayed length of one 
" and one-half inches, the top of the rihhon to form a hori- 
" zontal line, the outer end of which shall be not less than one 
"nor more than I wo inches (according to the height of the 
" wearer), below the nppcr line of the shoulder. 

" When any member of the Order shall have the ribbon 
" belonging to the Insignia of an Original mend)er whom he 
" represents, he may wear the same without regard to the 
'' length and according to the arrangement thereof. 

" When the Order shall be worn round the neck, the 
'■' ribbon shall be in length such that the eagle shall not be 
" suspended more tlian one inch below the collar button. 

" When the Order shall be worn liy members who may 
" be in the Military or Xaval service of the United States or 
" of any foreign government, they shall wear the same in the 
" manner prescribed by the service to which they may belong." 

Order an "^^ ^^^ Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Hartford, 

Heirloom. Conu., I7th June, 1902, it was \manimously 

" Besolved, That it is the ojiinion of this General ^feeting that the 
" Order of this Society, to wit, the Eagle and Kibbon and the Diploma 
" of Original ^Membership, constitute heirlooms which descend to the 
" Hereditarv ]\iember who mav be duly admittecl in succession." 



„ , . . At the Triennial meetinir of the General Society held in Baltimore, 

Piinnratuin ^ 

<iii<l fssuirnre Md., !tth May, IStM), uyiou rejiort of a Special Connnittee, the following 

of the Order. ^ i • ' • i i i i • 

Urdmanee was nnaninidusly adopted, viz.: 

Okdixaxce. 

■'■' Be if ordained hi/ the General Society of the Cincinnati, 
'' That the President-General, Secretary-General and Treas- 
" urer-General shall have power to fix upon a die as a standard 
" for the eagle of the Order, authorize its procurement, and 
" settle upon the standard ribbon and place the issuance of 
" all orders (eagle and ribbon) and rosettes in charge of a 
" General oilicer, said insignia or any portion there<if to be 
"issued only to m<Mnl)ers iijion iheir resp(>etive a])plications, 
" and at a uiiifnrm price."" 

44 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in New f^'f/i^l'- 
London, Conn., 18th Jnne, lUO-J, the following report thereunder was e.tabluhed 
duly submitted and was as follows : 

" SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI. 
" Pursuant to the provisions of an Ordinance adopted at tlie Triennial 
" General Meeting of the Society of the Cincinnati on May 9, 1890, which 
" prescribes that ' The President-General, Secretary-General and Treasurer- 
" ' General shall have the power to fix upon a die as a standard for the 
••"Eagle of the Order, authorize its procurement, and settle upon the 
" ' standard Ribbon and place the issuance of all Orders (Eagle and Ribbon) 
'• • and Rosettes in charge of a General Officer, said Insignia or any portion 
•• ■ thereof to be issued only to members upon their respective applications 
•' ' and at a uniform price"'— We, the undersigned, having duly considered 
'• the dies for Eagle of the Order submitted by different manufacturers, do 
" hereby fix upon the die as a standard for the Eagle of the Order which 
" has been prepared by The Bailey, Banks and Biddle Company, Goldsmiths, 
" Chestnut and Twelfth streets, in the City of Philadelphia, and authorize 
" its procurement, and 

" We do hereby settle upon the Ribbon hereto annexed as the standard 
" Ribbon, and 

•' We do hereby for the time being place the issuance of all Orders 
■' (Eagle and Ribbon) and Rosettes in charge of John Cropper, Esq., Assist- 
" ant Treasurer-General, 1742 M street, Washington, D. C, said Insignia or 
" any portion thereto, to be issued only to actual members of the society of 
'■ the Cincinnati who may need the same, upon their respective applications 
" therefor, to said General Officer and at the price of twenty-five dollars for 
" every Eagle, the Assistant Treasurer-General to keep record of all issues 
"made under said Ordinance: provided, however, that no Eagle shall be 
" issued to an applicant who already has one. 

'• Dated .June 17, 1902. 

" WiNSLOW ^^ ARREX. 

'■ Prcsidciil-Ocficral. 
■■ Asa Bird Gardiner, 

" Secrefarii-General. 

'■ F. WOLCOTT JACK.SON, 

'■ T reasurcr-Gcneral." 

The following resolutions were thereupon unanimously adopted : 

"Resolved, That the report and decision of the General Officers, just 
" submitted, relative to a Standard Die and Ribbon for the Order of the 
" Society of the Cincinnati, be accepted, apjiroved and ordered on file." 

" Resolved, That the Treasurer-Cieneral be and hereby is authorized and 
■' directed to pay for the standard die settled upon by the Board of General 
" Officers under the Ordinance of 1890, the same to be in the custody of the 
" General Officer intrusted with the issuance of Orders and to be deposited 
" with The Bailey, Banks and Biddle Company. Goldsmiths, until said 
" Board shall otherwise direct." 



In 1784 His Excellency, Count d'Estaing, Knight of the Holy JJ;^*"^^''^**'" 

eral's Order- 
^,- It's History. 



Ghost, then the ranking Xaval officer for <huv in France,* aud Lieuten- 
aut-Geueral in the Arniv, sent to President-General Washinatou tiie 
Order of the Cincinnati, consisting of the riband and the IJald Eagle 
containing tlie emhlenis as established, elaborately ser in ilianionds. 

This was received liy him on the 11th May, 17>'4, while in Phila- 
delphia attending the sessions of the General Society of the Cincinnati, 
and was thenceforth worn. Appropriate acknowledgment was made by 
letter on the loth ]\lay, ITS-t, in which President-General Washington 
wrote that he wonhl thencefortli wear the Order instead oi his own, 
which ho was then weai'ing at the sessions of the General Society. 

^U'ter President-General Washington's decease, it was transmitted 
by his heirs to Major-General Alexander Hamilton, who had succeeded 
to the office of President-General, and, upon the latter's decease, his 
widow duly delivered it to ]\lajor-General ( 'harles Cdtesworth Pinckni^y, 
who liad in turn succeeded to that office. 

The latter, at the meeting of the General Society held in Philadel- 
pliia, Sth Atigust, 1811, presented a " memorandum " in which he sug- 
gested that the diamond insignia of the Order \\hi<'h had thus lieen 
confided to him, ought to be thereafter considered as a]i])ertinent to the 
office of President-General, which suggestion was, mi motion, unani- 
mottsly acceded to. 

Since then it has been worn on snitabh; nccasions by every succeed- 
ing President-General. 

As it became the ]iropcrty of the General Society, thenceforth, 
whenever a President-General died, his legal representatives returned 
it to the custody of the pro]3er General officer. 

At the Special General meeting held in the City of Philadelphia. 

•Vice Admiral de'Estaing's letter of transmittal was as follows: 

■■ Paris, 26th February, 1784. 
•' Sir: It is in the name of all the French Navy that 1 take the liberty to request your 
Kxcellency to accept of an American Eagle, expressed rather than embellished by a French 
artist. 

" Liberty (of which It is the happy and august symbol) has risen of itself, supported by 
wisdom, talents, and disinterestedness; by every virtue; by General Washington. Obstacles 
have only served to increase its strength. 

" The efforts of a patriot army were irresistible when seconded by the Kings troops who 
have shown themselves by their discipline and conduct worthy of the choice of His Majesty. 
' Those with his navy made everything possible. 

" It appears then to be proper in one of those who unites the titles of soldier and sailor, 
and whom you inspire with sentiments of the most profound admiration and attachment, to 
entreat you to receive with indulgence an homage which must cease to be unimportant when 
it shall appeal to your sensibility. 

" One who has had the happiness to be the first of those whom the King sent to America, 
and who has been the last of those who were designed to lead thither the forces of two great 
monarchs, thereby acquires the happy perogative of being entitled to express, though faintly, 
the sentiments of all his fellow sailors and soldiers. 

■' I have the honor to be, with respect, sir, 

■■ Your Excellency's most obedient and 

'• Most humble servant. 

" EST.IING." 

46 



30th Xovember, 1848, to elect a Presicleiit-(Teneral vice the venerable 
Brevet Major William Pophaiii, deceased, the last inciimbeut of that 
setts State Society of the Ciucinuati was ajjpointed a committee to con- 
office of the War of the Kevolution, tlie delegation from the Massachu- 
vey to the President-General, then elected, " the decoration of the Presi- 
dent-General," being the Eagle presented bv the French Xaval members 
to His Excellency President-General George Washington. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Philadel- „ 
phia, loth May, lS9ti, npon report and recommendation of the Stand- Geneml's 
iug Executive Gonnnittee, the following Ordinance was nnanimonsly f.,ifif„,iy 
adojited, viz. : 

Ormxaxce. 

" Be it onlahied by the (ieueral Socleltj of the Ciiicin- 
■' uati, That the Eagle of the Order set in diamonds, which 
" was presented in May, 1784, by Vice-Admiral Count 
" d'Estaing and his associate French Naval officers, members 
'■ of the Society, to His Excellency President-General Wash- 
" ington, and Avhich in 1811, on motion of Major-General 
" Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, then President-General, 
" became the property of this Society, shall hereafter be held 
" in trust for the Society by the Pi-esident-General, Secretary- 
" General and Treasurer-General, who are hereby declared 
" Trustees of said property. 

" That the said Eagle shall always be kept in a safe 
'■ deposit or other place of security by said Trustees, with the 
" right to the President-General to wear the same on such 
" occasions of ceremony as he may deem proper." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Pliila- ^''o person to 
delphia, 15th May, 1800, upon the report and recommendation of the ^"J^,. 'gj-^fpf 
Standing Executive Committee, the following resolution was nnani- Members. 
mously adopted : 

" Besot ced. That no member of any Association which does not 
" constitute a State Society of the Cincinnati recognized and duly 
" represented in this General Society, nor any person who has not been 
" regularly admitted in one of the existing State Societies forming a 
'' constituent part of this General meeting, is authorized or entitled to 
" wear on any occasion the distinctive Order of this Society nor the 
" Eagle nor ribbon tliei'cof nor any rosette made of such ribbon." 



47 



t>eal(ind \t jjjg Triennial uicetiui'- of the General yocietv held in Philadel- 

topper Plate . . ^ " . 

Diplotiiii. |ihia, :2Sth November, 1839, the Secretary-General having stated that 

it was understood that certain property of the General Society, iuchid- 
iiig the general seal and copper plate for printing diplomas were in pos- 
session of a State Society, it was 

'■ Kesolved, That the Secretary-General be authorized and directed 
to apply for and receive the said * * * seal and copper plate, to pre- 
serve them among the archives of the General Society.'" 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City 
of Xew York, 14th May, ISOo, the Secretary-General reportt.^d the 
copper diploma plate to be in his custody, bnt tliat no seal of the 
General Society was known to exist. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society lield in Baltimore, 

Description yi,] ()th Mav, 1890, upon report of a Special Committee, the following 
of Seal. ' . II- 

Ordinance was nnanimonsly adojited, viz. : 

Ordinance. 

" Be it ordained hi/ the (leneral Sucicli/ of (he Cinrin- 
" nati. That the following be and is hereby adopted as the seal 
"of the General Society of the ( 'incinnati, namely: 

" The seal shall be circular, two and one-qnarter inches 
'■ in diameter, and shall bear on its face the following emblems 
"mentioned in the Institution: 

■' Sun rising — a city with open gatos. and vessels entering; the port. 
" Fame crowning C'ixcinnatis with a wreatli inscribed 

" ViRTUTIS Pr.EMIUM. 

■' Below 

" Hand.s joined, supporting a heart, with tlie motto: 

" KsTo Perpetua. 

" Round the whole, 

'■ SOCIETAS CINCINNATORTOI INSTITUTA, 

'■A. D. 178:3. 

" The seal shall be and remain in the custody of the Sec- 
" retary-General, and shall lie affixed to tlie ili|ilunKis and to 
"such other documents as may require to lie duly executed 
"or authenticated." 

Motto of the ^t the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the Senate 

Cliamber, State House, Boston, j\Iass., 16th June, 1893, it was 
unanimously 

48 



" Besolved, That, in the opinion of this General meeting, the Motto 
of the Society remains as originally agreed upon, ilay 10th, 17S3: 
Omnia BcUquit Servare Bcmpuhllcam." 

In a report of the Standing Executive Committee, whicli accom- 
panied and recommended this resolve, which report was accepted and 
approved, it was shown that the Convention of General and other officers, 
which reconvened in the Cantonments on Hudson Eiver, 19th June, 
1783, to adopt the Bald American Eagle with the Medal on its. breast as 
the Order of the Society, adopted the motto '•' Omnia Relinquit Servare 
Eempiihlicam '" as the motto for such medal and it was accordingly duly 
certitied for record by Major-General Baron de Steuben, President of 
the Convention. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in _Xe\v York Staudins 
City, l'2th May, 1875, a Standing Committee of one member from (yoj^mittee. 
every State Society was ap])ointed on " Bules and Ordinances." -^'* Origin. 

.\t the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Charleston, 
S. C. 14th April, 1881, it was 

" Resolved, That this Committee consist of one from each 
" State Society, to be chosen at the meetings of the State 
" Societies on the -ith of July next, the one chosen, if unable 
■' to attend, to have the right, with the approval of the Society, 
" to appoint a substitute, to which shall be added the Presi- 
" dent-General as Chairman of the Committee, and that said 
" Committee be instructed and shall have power to revise and 
" modify the old, and present any new rides and ordinances 
'' that they may think best, with a view to make them a con- 
" sistent and harmonious whole, that shall produce as far as 
" practicable a gi-eater uniformity in the action of the General 
" and of the State Societies, that the whole Order nuvy be 
" henceforth conducted faitlifully on the ideas and principles 
" of the original Institution, and the said Committee he also 
■' instructed to consider and rejiort whether, upon the original 
" ideas and principles upon whicli the Society of the Cin- 
" cinnati was established, it is practicable for any State 
" Society that has deliberately committed suicide and voted to 
" dissolve, disband and divide their funds, can be revived and 
" re-established, and if they deem this is practicable, then to 
" consider and report further how this can be done, i. e., upon 
" what terms on the part of the General Society, by what 

49 



" action, rules ami 2)roceecliugs on the part of those who would 
" have a claim to become members of this defunct Society were 
'* it still in existence, and that this said Committee be in- 
'■ structed to report at the next General meeting of the 
" Society." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Prince- 
ton, X. J., 15th May, ISS-i, the Committee on Eules and Ordinances 
was continued by specially referring to it business for consideration and 
report. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Newport, 
li. I., 2Sth duly, ISST, it was Voted " that such Couunittee be continued 
until further order." 

The composition, duration and scope of this Committee not having 
proven satisfactory, an Ordinance was introduced by unanimous con- 
sent at the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore 
'.•th May, 1890, constituting a Standing Executive Committee, which 
Ordinance was unanimously adoj)teil, and is as follows, viz.: 

Oedixaxce. 

" Jie it ordained tjij the (reneral Societ'ti e*/ the Cincinnati^ 
" That the members of the Committee on Rules and 
■' Ordinances shall constitute a Standing Committee, to eon- 
'■ sist of one delegate from every State Society especially 
" appointed by such State Soeety together with the President- 
" General ex-offirio. The Standing Committee shall be 
" charged with the duties of an Executive Committee and be 
" so designated, and in addition to the duties heretofore pcr- 
" formed by the Committee on Rules and Ordinances, shall, at 
" any time, pre\ious to a General meeting, receive, consider 
'■ and report to the same all matters requiring any action by 
" the General Society." 

'lic'ord'''iii(7 -^* ^^'"^ Trienmiial meeting of the General Society held in Boston, 

E-rpensen of lOth .Tune, 1803, the following resolutions were unanimouslv adopted, 

StiiiKbnn Ex- . . r I 

ecu tine Com- viz. : 

mittee pro- 

^i<'<^dfor. " i_7?^,.,o/.,,(,^_ T],at tlie Assistant Secretary-General 

shall hereafter act as Secretary to the Standing Executive 
Couunittee, uidess he shall be a niendier thereof, in which case, 

50 



(/rd ilia lice 
tliereon. 



or in his absence, or for other cause, such committee may 
designate a Secretary pro tempore." 

'■ 2 — Besolced, That the Standing Executive Committee 
keep a record of its proceedings, and make report of same at 
every General meeting." 

" 3 — Resolved, That the actual expenses of this com- 
mittee be paid by the Treasurer-General." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Phihi- sI/,'i,'/uZ,''ej:- 
delphia, 13th May, 1896, it was unanimnusly -;;^; CW.- 

■' Resolved, That it shall hereafter be a standing Regulation that ''"" ' 
"■ the Treasurer General defray all expenses which may be incurred by 
'•■ the Standing Executive Conmiittee, upon the certificate of the Chair- 
" man of such Committee." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Hartford, Further ac- 

*"■ ttOfl QiS to 

Conn., 17th -June, 1902, it was further unanimously Expenses. 

" Resolved, That all expenses which at any time may be incurred 
"by the Standing Executive Committee shall bo defrayed by the 
" Treasurer-General, on approval by the Chairman of the Standing Ex- 
" ecutive Committee." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the Senate Preparation 

of Rhsiticss 
Chamber, State House, Boston, Mass., 16th June, 1893, it was 

unanimously 

" Resolved, That, hereafter, as far as practicable, the Standing 
Committee prepare an Order of Business for every Session of the Gen- 
eral Society, subject to such changes in the same as may be ordered by 
the General Society." 



For many vears the prescriptive custom has existed in meetings of Biographical 

■^ " •' ' . II- Sketches of 

the General Society, to notice in an appropriate manner, by eulogies, deceased 

resolutions and biographical sketches the decease of former and actual "qJIU-hi^- 

members of the General Society and the decease of oificers of State cietyand 

■' Officers of 

Societies. Suite 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Trenton, 
IST. J., 9th May, 1866, the committee appointed to draft resolutions in 
i-egard to the announcements made of decease of certain members and 
State officers, reported " that tliey have listened with great respect and 

51 



Societies. 



Mcsolve Clin 
refiling the 
Ko-culled 
Dnuyhters 
the Cineiri- 
^leiti. 



of 



I^rofouiiJ iuluiiratiou to the eulogies which were delivei-ed," and " regret 
that they have not time to compile a short l)iographical uotice of the 
deceased, to serve as an example and a guide to the present generation." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society lield in Baltimore, 
]\Id., IStli May, 1SG9, the coumiittee on deceased luemljers and officers 
made an identical report of regret at tlieir inability, in the brief time 
afforded, to eomiaile jn-oper biographical notices. 

In several <_if the subsequent 1'rienuial meeting-s such notices were 
pre]iai'ed and sui)mitted. an<l in nthers omitted. 

At the Triennial meeting cd' the General Society held in Boston, 
Mass., 10th June, 181»;J, the Committee on Obituary jSfotices reijorted 
that the time had not been sufficient within which to prepare sTiltaljle 
memorials to submit at this session, and that the connnittee had accord- 
ingly requested the Secretary-General to prepare such memorials, which 
request was duly comjilied with. 



At the Triennial meeting id the General Society held in Phila- 
delphia, Penn., l.'ith ^lay, ISiXi, upon the report and recommendation 
(d" the Standing Executive Committee relative to an Association of 
women which had assumed the name " Daughters of the Cincinnati," 
the folldwing resolution was unanimously adopted: 

" Bexolved, That while the Society of the Cincinnati heartily 
" sympathizes Avith the general good purpose of all tnily patriotic 
" societies, nevertlieless it feels constrained, conrteonsly but firmly, to 
" express its decided unwillingness to have the name historically its 
" own for over a century attached to another organization." 



Frdui ITS!) to ISOO nominations of General officers, if made at all, 



Nominatiny 
Committee 

for Oemni} were nuulc r/ro voce liv individual members. 
Offieen. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore, 
Md., Tth May., 1S90, it was 

■' Resolved, That each delegation shall designate one of their 
ninulier to eonstitnte a nominating committee to nominate General 
officers for the eustiing three years and until their successors shall be 
chosen." 

This resolve was repeated at the Triennial meeting of the General 
Society held in the Senate Chamlier, State House, Boston, "Nfass., 16th 



52 



June, 1803, and at the Triennial meeting of the General Society held 
in the VerPlanck Eesidence, the former quarters of Major-General 
Baron de Steuben, near Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, 1:2th May, 1899. 

At the Triennial meetings of the General Society of 189(3 and 
190:2 the old Rule of vira voce nominations was adhered to. 



By the terms of the "' Institution," as agreed tn hy the ( 'ouvcutioii Eligibility 
of officers in tlie Cautomuents on the Hudson, lOtli May, 1783, eligi- slip "}'''' 
bility to Original membership in the Cincinnati is apparently limited '?^'^*°^ 
to those who liad served as conuuissioiicd officers in the Land Forces of Marines. 
the United States on the C'ontinrntal Establishment and to certain 
French officers* whom the Society of the Cincinnati di<l " themselves 
the honor to consider as members." viz. : the Generals and Colonels in 
the Auxiliary Army and Admirals and ( 'onnnan<U'rs in the French 
Xavy. 

As to who were intended by these generic expressions beyond 
certain officers named it remained for the General Society, in a number 
of resolutions, to construe and determine. 

Thus, in reference to certain officers of the Auxiliary Army who 
had served in- the United States under Lieutenant-General Count de 
Rochambeau, and certain " Captains and Commanders of Ships and 
Frigates of the French Navy wdio were employed on special service on 
the coast of America," the General Society, by resolution of the 17th 
May, 1784, declared them to be '' entitled by the spirit and intention of 
the Instilufion to become Memhers of the Cincinnati." 

In the proposed Amended Institution of 1784, which, on account 
of specific organic alterations, had to be submitted for ratification to 
the State Societies, including the Society of the Cincinnati in France,- 
(although never finally ratified), in those portions which were not 
pointed out as alterations nor intended to be a departure from the spirit 
or intent of the original Institution, certain classes of naral officers 
■wei'e specifically described as eligible to membership. 

•These French officers had either held commission from the United States, or else in the 
French Auxiliary or Co-operating Land or Naval Forces in one of the particular grades or 
positions of command mentioned in the Institution to entitle them to become " members." 

Their membership, by the specific language of that Instrument, was identically the same 
as that of other oriijiiwl members, and after the French Society dissolved, several of them, 
or their proper descendants, were admitted in existing State Societies under the same rules 
governing like cases of the transfer of other original or the admission of hereditary members. 

A number of officers who were not entitled either by rank or command in the French 
Allied Forces to original membership under the Institution, were, nevertheless, admitted 
in the Society in France as honorory members, and when the nephew of one of these applied 
to the General Society, in May. 1860, for hereditary membership, he was informed that he was 
not entitled to it, as his Propositus, so far as shown by the Records in the Secretary 
General's office, had not held the qualifying rank, 

53 



Beiitorks of 
Oenernl So- 
ckty on iv:- 
eefisity of in- 
Urpretalioi) 
of Institution. 



Construc- 
tion (film by 
State Societies 
relative to 
Jfaval and 
Marine 
Officers. 



Sernces as 
Officers in 
State regi- 
ments irhen 
counted. 



The General Society, iu a eommuuication to the several State 
Societies, including the Society of the Cincinnati in France, which was 
signed by President-General Washington, by order, on the 15th May, 
l7S4,f called attention to the fact that " the instiiiment of our Associa- 
tion was of necessity drawn up in a hasty manner, at an epoch as extra- 
ordinary as it Avill be memorable in the annals of mankind, when the 
mind, agitated by a variety of emotions, was not at liberty to attend 
minutely to every circumstance which respected our social connection, 
or to digest our ideas in so correct a form as could have been wished." 

The several State Societies have perfectly understood this fact, and 
in evei-y one where the question has arisen as to the eligibility of a !N"avy 
01' Marine Officer who had served in time and manner stated, viz. : In 
the State Societies in ilassachusetts, Ehndo Island, Connecticut, Now 
York, Pennsylvania, ilaryland, Virginia and South Corolina, the orig- 
inal Institution has always been construed and interpreted as compre- 
hending such classes of officers. 



Dnring tlie War i.if the Kevolution for American Iiidc'iiciidence 
several States raised special State volunteer regiments and independent 
companies (other flian luililui) " for the defense of the United States in 
general," wbieli were taken into the service of the General Government, 
and in Avhich were many officers who either previously or subsequently 
held " Continental " commissions and served thereunder for longer or 
shorter periods, or in whicli officers had served in the field' fnJIy three 
years of the war. Tliese officers had either resigned with honor or Ix^en 
honorably discharged at expiration of the terms of service of these special 
State organizations. 

The question therefore arose as to whether, in ascertaining the 
length of service of an officer who laid' claim to Original memljership, 
such field service could be counted either by itself or in addition to the 
service such officer had performed under a Continental Commission in 
a Continental regiment or corps in order to complete the full " three 
years' .service " required by the Institution. 

Tliis question included tlie eligil)ility to membership of the officers 
of the Rhode Island State Brigade, who, althotigh holding only State 

tAt the First meeting of the General Society, held in Philadelphia. 13th May. 17S4. it was 

" Rc.^oh'f'tt. That the Institution, as amended and altered, be forwarded to each State 

" Meeting and ia ihr vuctUuj in Franrc. and that it be accompanied with a Circular letter to 

" each, explanatory of the. reasons wliich produced the amendments and alterations, and 

" recommending the same to their observance." 



54 



commissions in the 1st or 2(1 regiments of Infantiy, or regiment of 
Artillery of that Brigade, had served' continuously over three years of 
the war imder Continental general officers, that brigade having been 
taken into Continental service by resolution of Congi-ess, and raised 
" for the defense of the United States in general," and had served at the 
siege of Xewport and battle of Rhode Island and elsewhere. 

Certain iitlicr State regiments in ( 'mitinental service, notably the 
1st and 2d regiments Virginia State Infantry, had served in the same 
manner. These two regiments served in the Main Continental Amiy 
under the immediate command of His Excellency General George Wash- 
ington, Commander-in-Chief. 

In the General Society, on the 13th ^lay, 178-i, the opinion of the 
]\[eeting was taken in regard to the admission of officers of any indi- 
vidual State to be parties to the Institution of the Cincinnati who had 
served in time and manner as above stated, and it was 

" Eesolved, That such officers of the State Troops as have served 
three years can be admitted members." 

Under this ruling several valuable original members were admitted' 
in several of the State Societies. 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Newport, Collateral 
■n T r,nii T 1 -.on;- ■■ "^ ' descent de- 

Tl. I., 28th July, 1887, it Avas jinea. 

" Resolved. That the General Society conceives the true interpre 
Intion of the Institution regarding the descent is that the Original mem- 
ber is to bo considered the pracpositus from whom succession is to 1>^ vt-^ 
rived, and that the Collateral branches are those collateral to the Original 
memlier, and the succession should lie through the direct line, and not 
through females, until all the male lines have liecome extinct." 



At the Triennial meetiuii' of the General Societv held in Philadel- -O"'''''' ""^ 

1 ' 1 • !• 1 collateral 

phia, 4th May, 1829, a question having arisen whether, m case of the descent de- 

" death of a member having no male issue except a grandson, the issue '"'* • 

" of a daughter, such grandchild shall be preferred to collaterals : 

" The Society conceives the true construction of the Constitution 
" to be that the grandson shall Ix; preferred, he being in the direct line 
" of descent." 



Hereditur 
membership, 
wfiere to be 
applied fur. 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore, 
31il., 7th May, 1890, npon rci^ort of the Committee ou Rules and Ordi- 
nance.-;, it was unanimonsly 

" Bcsolred, That it is the (ipinidii of the General Society that every 
■'application for membership sliould [)<■ made to that State Society of 
" which the pmcposUus of the applicant was an original mcnilM-r, if 
'■ such State Society is in existence." 



Foreigners 
may become 
hereditary 

members. 



At the Triennial meeting of thr Gmeral Society held in Princeton, 
X. J., l.">tli May, 1884, it was 

"' Besolved, That the General Society conceives the trnc constrnc- 
■'■ tion of the Institution to be that where a descendant of an Original 
" memlK?r, or per.son otherwise entitled to meml:)ership, shall apply for 
■' membership and lie otherAvise elig-iUe, he should not lie deemed to l>e 
'■ ineligililc by reason of not Indng a citizen of the United vStates." 



Permanent 
Fund, when 
subject for 
relief pvr- 
poses. 



At the Triennial meeting of the (icncral Society held in Princeton, 
N. J., 15th May, 1884, it was 

" Rc.soh-cd. That it is the opinion of the General Society that when 
'' an application for relief from any member of from his family or from 
"the descendant of any original mendier is found to be necessary, such 
'■ application should l)e nuide to the State Society wherein was deposited 
'■ tiie contriljution of the praeposihi.'.- of such applicant to the Pcrnuinent 
■' P'und."' 



Proprwd but At the Triennial meeting of the General Society liehl in the Gitv of 

non-adopted a-' ^• i i at ^-i i i i • i ■ i i 

amendments ^c^^ 1 ork, Stli May, LSol, there was reconunended fni' ailojition liy the 

to Institution several State Societies as an aUmttiiJii to the Tustitution. " An Ordi- 
as to eligibil- 

itytomember- nance relative to the succession and admission of nu'udiei's," liy which, 

1851. among otiier ]tropositions, nil male descendants of an officer of the 

Revolution could lie ailniitted, and thus abolish ilic rule uf |irinio- 
geniture. 

The Ordinance also provided tliat the General Society should have 
power and authority to admit honorary members at its discretion. 



5(5 



It tailed, however, to be ratified, and never became valid, as the Failure of 
Trill • -1 riitifcaHoii. 

jJaryhmd State Society, 5th July, 1852, relTised to concur, and the 

President-General, accordingly, at the next Triennial meeting, formally 

annonnced that the principle of the Original Institiition as to succession 

ot iiieiiiiiers reiuaiiu'cl unchanged. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City of Original and 
Baltimore, 18th May, 1854, the effort was again made, in diffei-ent membership 
language, to effect the principal objects C(inteiu]>lated by the void ^''M^''- 
proposed Ordinance of 1851, and accordingly the following resolutions 
respecting the succession and admission of members were unanimously 
adopted : 

1 — "Resolved, That each State Society shall have the ff«ief/1854. 
" full right and power to regulate the admission of members, 
" both as to the qualifications of members and the terms of 
" admission. Procidcd, That admission be contincd to the 
" male descendants of original members (including collateral 
'' branches as contemi^lated by the original Constitution), or 
" to the male descendants of such ofiicers of the Army and 
" K^avy as may have been entitled to admission, but who failed 
" to avail themselves thereof within the time limited by the 
" Constitution ; or to the male descendants of .such officers of 
" the iVrmy and ISTavy of the Revolution as may have resigned 
'' with honor, or left the service wdth reputation, or to the male 
" collateral relative of any oificer who died in service with- 
" out leaving issue. 

2 — " Ecsolvcd, That the male descendants of those who 
" Avere members of State Societies which have been dissolved, 
" may be admitted into existing State Societies upon such 
"terms as those Societies may think ]n'oper and prescribe." 

These resolves constituted and were intended to be, if ratified, an 
organic alteration of the original Institution, by abolishing the limita- 
tion therein contained concerning succession in membership, which con- 
fined it to '■ any of the eldest male posterity and in failure thereof the 
" collateral branches who may be judged worthy," and also in enacting 
that every State Societj^ have " the full right and power to regulate the 
" admission of members," which was in effect a return to the " Pro- 
posals " of Major-General Knox, which permitted all Revolutionary 
officers to l)e Original members, but which the Continental Officers who 

57 - 



Effart io (liter 
Institution 
hi/ remh'Cf: of 
1854. 



Rijtction of 
name. 



Action to 

enforce 

proposed 

iiltcration of 

1854 without 

unanimonH 

consent. 



framed the Institution, on the lOtli May, 1783, would not agi'ee to, 

but inserted the restrictions as to eligibility as found in the Institution. 

To become effective, these resolves had, necessarily, to be submitted 
to tlie several State Societies and their unaninnius concurrence obtained. 

Accordingly, the third resolution, as passed, was as follows : 

3 — '' Besolved, That the foregoing resolutions be pro- 
" posed to the several State Societies and their assent be 
" requested thereto; and upon such assent being given by each 
'■ of the remaining Societies, the Secretary-General shall issue 
" notice thereof to each Society, and thereupon the said reso- 
" hitions shall become operative, and each State Society shall 
" he at lihertii to act upon the power given thcrchy." 

This hitor effort to alter the oi'iginal Institutiijn, by the abolition 
of the rule of primogeniture, also failed of adoption, by reason of the 
express refusal, 4th July, is.j'j, of the Peu)i-;ylvauia State Society to 
concur. 

Thereupon, at the Sj)ecia] meeting nf the Cieneral Society* held 
in tiie City of Trenton, :.'2d May, 1^5(1, at which ueitlier the Kiiodc 
Island nor the Xew York State Societies were represented, it was 
unanimously 

" Besolved, That the resolution adopted at the last 
" Triennial meeting, requiring the assent of the several State 
" Societies to the resolutions in relation to the admission of 
" members, as the condition on Mhich the said resolutions 
" shall become operative, lie and the same is hereby repealed." 

This last recited action by the General Society has frequently been 
considered void, and, in so far as the langiiage of the resolves 1 and 2 
of 1854 are concerned, they were in their most enlarged sense void, as 
being in derogation of the Princijdes of the Original Instifiilidu and 
so considered by the General Society or they would not have required 
their submission for a unanimous ratification by the State Societies in 
order to make them operative. 

While the language of the resolves of 1854, even in their restrictive 
sense, is faidty and liable ti:i be misunderstond, nevertheless, considering 
certain questions of interpretation of the Institution which had arisen, 



* At this Special General meeting were present the Vice-President-General. Treasurer- 
General (who was also a Delegate from New Jersey). Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant 
Treasurer-General, and the following State Society Representation, viz.: Massachusetts (1), 
New Jersey 13), Pennsylvania (.l). Maryland (1) and South Carolina (3). Total 16. 



58 



they have generally been accepted /" tltat extent only as rules of con- 
structiou or interpretation on the following points, and therefore are 
referred to as the " Tinlo of 1854," viz.: 

First — That the i>r()i)cr descendants of Officers of the Continental Bukofl85i; 
. , , , . . , 11-1 !• M 1 i. -1 Its scope and 

Army wIki were (|iKilihed tor Original luemhersliip but tailed to avail ^.j^^c^. 

themselves of it, may he a<lniitted to hereditary membership on terms. 

Second — That the proper descendants of Officers of the Continental 
ISTavv are compreliendcd equally with Continental Army Officers. 

Til inl — That the proper descendants of Original members who had 
been enrolled in State Societies which had become extinct could be 
admitted to hereditary membership on terms. 

The interpretation of the Rule of 1854 as herein stated in the 
First and Second points has been the construction put upon the Rule 
by the General Society when passing upon the eligibility of claimants to 
hereditary membership in Provisional Organizations of revived State 
Societies. 



Xo definite rule of artiuii ha- hvrvi prescribed by the General Rorganiza- 
Society with a view to the reorganization of any dissolved State Society, soloed State 
although the subject has, at different times, been considered. Societies. 

The General Society has, however, never waived its absolute juris- 
diction in the premises. 

At the adiiiurncd Triennial meeting held in Philadelphia, 8th f^'"''""'' . 
■' . thereon m 

August, 1811, a (Jommittee was appointed to ascertain and report on 1811. 
the situation of the several State Societies. This Committee, by its 
Chairman, the IIini. Elias Boudinot, LL.C, reported, on the following 
day, the dissolution of the Delaware and certain other State Societies, 
and the dispersion of their funds, and submitted a Circular letter. 

The report was unanimously adopted, and the Secretary-General 
was instructed to forward the letter to the Presidents of the respective 
State Societies, or to such member thereof as would cause it to Ije laid 
before said Society. 

The circular for Delaware, altlniugh that State Society had 
dissolved and distributed its funds, was duly authenticated by the 
President-General and Secretary-General " by unanimous order in 

59 



General ineetiug," and sent to the care of one of its former most iutlu- 
ential ()rii>iiial members, iirainin' " as the best corrective," despit^^ its dis- 
solution and tlie distribution of its funds, " the iimnediate renewal of 
that endeared intercourse," and earnestly recommending to tliat Society 
to send delegates to a Special meeting appointed for the following year. 
In consequence of the decease, dispersion or transfer of the Delaware 
members this recommendation was not comj)lied witli. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Phila- 
delphia, .Jth May, IS-2'J, it was 

" Resolved, That the incmhers residing in any State not having a 
State Society of the Cincinnati may form themselves into such State 
Society." 

This resolve authorized actual members living in any State in 
which the State Society ha<l been dissolved to revive and reconstitute 
such State Society," and was a re-enunciation of tiie desire expressed in 
the prior action of 1811. 

1"he resolution, although nut so limited in words, did nijt ci.nuem- 
plate the organization of a State Society in one of the States of the 
Union admitted after 1783. 

That question had already been considered in the Massachusetts 
State Society at its anuTial meeting held in Boston on the 4th July, 
1805, in consequence of a petition received from Brigadier-General the 
Hon. Rufus Putnam and otiier members of tliat State Society residing 
in Oliio, praying that a certain proportion of the Massachusetts State 
Society's funds, equal to what they, the petitioners, had originally sub- 
scribed and paid in, should be refunded and transmitted them for the 
purpose of forming a fund for a Society of the Cincinnati, wiiich they 
had tliought projier to create in that State. 

The Standing Committee of the ^Massachusetts State Sneiety 
imanimously repoi'ted adversely to the petition for sevei'al reasons, and 
the report was adopted, and, having been duly communicated, no further 
effort was made to continue the informal organization in Ohio. 

The first of the.se reasons for not favorably considering the petitinu 
was that " by the Constitution of the Society it was clearly intended to 
form one family of brethren, to consist of thirteen cantons, and iv> more, 
forever. Xor is there any ju-ovision, either expressed nr iiiijilied, aiven 

()() 



either tu tlie Cieiieral ineetiiig or to eitlier nf tlie State Societies, to create 
an additidiial Society, or to transfer any part of the original funds for 
this purpose." 

When the Order was established in 1783 there were but thirteen 
States in the United States of Anieriea, and the Massachusetts Stand- 
ing Committee had good grounds for concluding that additional State 
Societies in the United States were not intended to be created, although 
Venunnt then claimed to be a State, with an oi-ganized State Grovern- 
nicnt. 

'i'he General Society, in May, 178-i, and the Massachusetts Cincin- 
nati, in a notable instance, 14th Septeniloer, 1789, had, hoAvever, already 
recognized the existence of the Society of the Cincinnati in France, on 
the same basis as other State Societies, but when the Massachusetts 
Standing Committee made its report it had dissolved in consequence of 
the French Revolution. 

In course of time all actually admitted members, eitlier Original, 
hereditary or honorary, in the dissolved State Societies, passed away. 

Incidentally it is to be noticed that none of these extinct Societies 
were ever incorporated under the laws of their respective States, and 
in none had dissolution taken place by unanimous vote, although 
acquiescence could be presumed from failure to protest. 

In Virginia and Xorth Carolina the deliberate adoption of a 
Regulation not to admit hereditaiy members evinced a determination 
to terminate those organizations upon the decease of actual members, 
alth(Higli tliey actmilly dissolved many years before the decease of the 
last of such members. 

In Georgia dissolution was the result of the early decease or dis- 
persion of its meml)ers, and in France dis.solution was the result of the 
Iicign nf Terror. 

In neither of these instances did the meml)ers have any direct 
agency in terminating their meetings. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Phila- 
delphia, 3d May, 1860, " it having been suggested that in several of the 
States Avhere the Society of the Cincinnati has been suspended or is 
noAV extinct, there is a disposition evinced by the descendants of the 

61 



<ir)giiiMl iik'IuIkt.s tu iviicw tlicir iissucialiuu and adiiiibsiou iutu uuiuu 
witli tlie General Society, it was 

'^ Resolved, That a eonunittoe be appointeil to c-onfer with such 
persons as are interested in the restoration of the several societies above 
referred to, and that thev be invited to apjioint delegates to confer with 
the General Society at the next or any subseijuent meeting on the sub- 
ject of their admission into union with the same." 

" Resolved, That the (Committee of Conference consist of three 
members of this body, who shall be and are hereby empowered to act in 
the premises at their discretion." 

" Resolved, That the President-General be requested to take part 
in the proceedings of this C'ommittee." 

When these resolutions were adojited the State Societies in Massa- 
chusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and South Carolina were in 
full activity. 

The oidy State Society then in existence, whose operations had 
been practically suspended by reason of the inability of a legal quorum 
to meet annually for business, was that in Rhode Island. The remaining 
six State Societies, of the original thirteen, were extinct. 

The Committee reported at the next Triennial meeting of the 
General Society held in New York City, 14th May, 1863, and was 
" discharged from the further consideration of the subject." 

At the Triennial meeting of General Society held in Boston, Mass., 
thereon in 29th ]\lay, 1872, the question arose whether the reorganization of 
1873. dissolved State Societies " required the permission jaf the General 

Society." 

It was referred to a committee, whose report, when iiresented on 
the following day by its Chairman, Rear Admiral Henry Knox 
Thatcher, U. S. Navy, was agreed to, although not noted as unanimous. 

The substantive report was as follows: 

" * * * While we are fully convinced of the 
" su]ireme anthoritv of the General Society in such matters, 
" and cannot and do not admit the righf of any State Society, 
" which has once had an existence and has since disbanded, 
" and distributed the fund which was the main basis of their 
" original organization, to resume its original status, yet we 

e.2 



"feel, and so report, after a review of tlie question })resented, 
'■ that it may be expedient and proper for tlie General Society 
" to i-eceive and consider any such application which may be 
'' made, provided that the same is made to the Society after a 
'■ temporary organization has been effected by those applying ; 
" satisfactory evidence has been presented that the amount 
'• of the fund existing at the time of the disbandment of the 
" Society has been fully made up (with simple interest from 
'■' the date of such disbandment), a list being furnished of the 
" descendants of Original members now residing in the States 
" who desire to revive the organization ; and a full statement 
" of the facts which induced such disbandment, and the dis- 
" position made of such funds l)y the members having the 
"' control of them at that time." 

This report was, in its recommendations, practically inoperative: 

1st — Because the controlling circumstances of dissolution in the 
case of every dissolved State Society were not identical. 

2d — Because, under ordinary circumstances, the descendants of a 
few claiming hereditary representation in a dissolved State Society as 
large, for example, as was that of Connecticut, would presumably be 
unable to contribute the considerable sum held by it in lSO-4 with 
simple interest from that time to date. 

Even if able to contribute, such descendants ought not to be recpiired 
to make good the -deficient funds of others, or, in the laugiiage of the 
Institution, do more than ■' form funds which may be respectable," 
particularly in view of the fact that 1)V individually applying for mem- 
bership in an existing State Society, they would not be required thus to 
contribute as to others. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Bhiladel- 
phia, 22d May, 1878, it was 

" Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by the chair to Actwn, as to 
consider the subject of reorganization of State Societies that have been sof^Ji^g 
dissolved; to inquire into the circumstances attending the dissolution of '^^"i^- 
any Society ; the distribution of the funds, and that the papers and 
credentials, in regard to any such application, be referred to said com- 
mittee." 

The Rhode Island State Society of the Cincinnati had not, for a 

63 



iiunilHT of years, been represented in the meetings of the General 
Society, but liad accredited delegates to this Triennial meeting. It was 
still a coriHiratiou under tlie laws of the State of Rhode Island, having 
been duly incorporated by Special Act of tlie State Legislature on Feb- 
ruary 28, 1814, and had not been dissolved. 

Actum on iSTevertheless, Avithout instructions to that ett'ect from the General 

Enixle Island r, . , i ■ i r i i i 

Credentinh Society, the credentials of the delegates of the Rhode Island State 

f^^"^^"'^^- Society of the Cincinnati were delivered to the Committee on Dissolved 

Societies appointed under the foregoing resolve. 

The commnnication, however, of this State Society to the General 
Society, then on file, setting forth in great detail, and Avith evidences, 
the reasons why, for many years, it had not been represented in General 
meetings nor been able to hold anniuil meetings, and the legal measures 
taken under the written advice and concurrence of the President-General 
to secure a legal quorum for continnance of business within the prescrip- 
tions of the Institutinu and Regulations of the Society, was neither read 
t(i the Triennial (ienci-al meeting nnr delivered to this cdmmittee. 

On 2:Jd ilay, INT)"!, two reports were submitted fi'om the ('ommit- 
tee, viz. : a majority re])ort recommending the admission of the delegates 
and a minority report desiring further information, precisely such as 
was then on file but not delivered to the Committee. 

Tli<Tcnp(in it was, iiu mntinu 

" Vi){i'(l. That the a]iplication nf Iilindc Island lie recduimirtcd to 
the ('onnnittee U< dbtain fuller informatidii and to report at the next 
meeting of the Society." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in (_"harles- 
ton, S. C, 13th April, 1881, a report was made by the Committee with- 
out recommendations, which was accepted. 

In this report it appeared that ])ursuant to prior recommendations 
of the General Society, the Rhode Island State Society had been incor- 
porated by Special Act of the Rhode Island State Legislature, 28tli 
December, 1814, and that at no legal meeting had there ever been a 
vote to dissolve or to surrender the charter of incorporation and that the 
last recorded action of an annual 4t.li July meeting was to vote to meet 
as prescribed by the Institution and Act of Incorporation on the next 
anniversary of American Independence. 

64 



'ilieiv'Uj>on the General Society 

■■ Resolved, That the Khode Ishiud Society be admitted to full 
membership as Cincinnati, and that the delegates present be entitled to 
all the privileges and powers appertaining to such office." 

There were other special facts inducing this favorable action — ■ 
known to members — and subsequently formally submitted for record by 
the Khode Island State Society, which may, properly, be noted in order 
to show precisely the basis of the particular precedent. That corporation 
liad been for a number of years unable to hold legal meetings liecause of 
inability to secure a quorum for business. It, however, continued a legal 
ejitity, having funds, projDerty and valuable archives, and capable of 
being sued. One hereditary member still survived, when, in 1S76, 
certain citizens of Ehode Island petitioned the Legislature to dissolve 
the corijoration and divert its funrls, property and arcliives to another 
corporation. 

This petition, under the statute, had to be remitted tn t'.ie joint 
Judiciary Committee <:if the succeeding Legislature and due publication 
made for all concerned to show cause, at a fixed time, why tlie petition 
jliould not be granted. Sticli ptiblication having been made and certain 
iiereditarily qualified representatives of original Cincinnati having thus 
become a]q)rised that they might still secure their hevitable rights, they 
united with the surviving hereditary member, in due pulilished notice, 
for a meeting to be held in tlie Senate Chamber, State ILiuse, Provi- 
dence, nn a designated day, to cmdile those entitled tci lieriMlitary mem- 
bership to attend and prove eligibility and worthiness, and thereupon 
such meeting placed the corjDoration on a durable basis. Pursuant to 
the statute in stich case made and provided, they then proved before the 
joint Judiciary Committee, by legal evidence, that they were person- 
ally worthy and the regular successors and eldest male jjosterity under 
the Institution of the Cincinnati of Original members, and produced 
satisfactory evidence why legal meetings cotild not be held after 4th 
July, ISol, by reason of absence abroad or in the public service of 
hereditary memliers, and illness or feebleness from age of venerable 
surviving Original members until, with the si^eedy decease of many of 
the latter, a legal qtiorum for business became impossible. Also that 
meetings were held on the Anniversary of American Independence for 
several years after this date, at which less than a quorum for business 
were able to attend, the final action of sttch minority attendance bein'j; 
a vote to meet again on the next 4th .Tulv, lint meanwhile so nrnv 



65 



venerable members di 



lat the meetiua- could nut be liekl. Tliere- 



Further 
Actio)! mi 
Report of 
1872. 



Action 
tlisreon on 
1884. 



Action 
thereon 
1890. 



iipon the joint Judieiarv Committee was, at its request, discLarged 
from further consideration of the citizens' jx^tition, and the Legislature, 
on their joint Judiciary Connnittee's report, by an act amendatory to 
the Act of lyll, declared those who participated in the reorganization 
to be " regular successors in said Society imder the General Institution 
as fully to all intents and purposes as if said Society bad continued to 
bold ill each year the designated meeting specially rccjuired." 

The Speoial Cunnnittee of the General Society also found that those 
who had thus participated with the venerable surviving hereditary mem- 
ber in reorganization were hereditarily qualified and worthy. 

The Rhode Island State Society having continued a legal entity, 
its IlejJresentatiou was accordingly duly admitted upon prijducing their 
credentials in usual course of procedure. 

A motion was then made to reaffirm as the sense of the Society the 
resolution on dissolved Societies (ante) adopted at the Triennial meet- 
ing,. 20tli ]\[ay, 1872, but the resolution was laid on the table. 

At the '1-riennial meeting of the General Society held in Princeton, 
N. •!., l-tth ilay, 1S.S4, the questi(jn having arisen whether it was 
the intent of the above-mentioned resolve of the 5th ^lay, 1820, to au- 
thorize members of the Order residing in any one of the States of the 
United States organized' after ITS;], in which there is no State Society 
cf the Gincinnati, ti> fVirm themselves into such State Society the same 
as if they resided in an original State of the Union in which the State 
Society had been dissolved, it was 

" Resolved. That the words ' any State ' in the resolution of the 
General Society adopted on the 5tli ^May, 1829, shall only be cimstrued 
to include any (if the thirteen original States." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore, 
Md., 7th ^lay, 1800, upon report of the Committee on Rules anil Ordi- 
nances, it was tmanimously 

"Resolved. That the resolution of the General Society, adopted 5th 
" May, 1829, ' that the members, residing in any State, not having a 
" State Society of the Cincinnati, may form themselves into such State 
'' Society,' together with the resolution of the General Society of 14th 
'■ May, 1884, that the words ' any State ' in the aforesaid resolution 
" shall be construed only to include any of the thirteen original States, 
■' he and' the same are hei-ebv rescinded.'" 



66 



At the Triuiiiiial uieetiui' uf the General Sueiety held iu iN'ewport, Action on 
° , ... , Frencli ,S'o 

Ji. 1., libth Julv, 18!s7, upon report of a Special Committee upon the ciety. 

;i])])lieation (if wnrthy and eligilile descendants of former members of 

the French ISocietv of Cincinnati who served in America dnring the 

Revohitionarx- War, and who had formed a i^ruvisional organization, 

it was nnaniiiKiiwly 

Volcd, Thai the said applicants be empowered to revive snch 
'' Society according to the Principles of the Institntidn and the spirit 
" of the French Government, and that said Society will lie c:.insidercd 
'• as revived n])iin the report of said Society to the Secretary-General 
'■ of their lia\'ing jicrnianently organized and elected their otKcers." 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Baltimore, Revival of 
Md., 7th May, 1890, the following report of the Committee ou Enles dgtics ?ww 
find Ordinances was nnanimonsly accepted and adopted, viz. : effected. 

" That in accordance with many precedents of the So- 
'' ciety, a State Societ}' which has discontinued its meetings 
"' and' so far as may be has been dissolved, may be revived and 
'■' re-established upnu proper application to the General Society 
" and action thereupon, but that the committee do not believe 
" it expedient or practicaldc to lay down any general rule ap- 
" plieable to all cases, but that each application made should 
■ " be considered upon its own merits and with reference to the 
" circumstances of that particular case and the precedents set 
" by the Society." 

Thereup'on the General Societv appointed a Special committee of Actir/n taken 
r. ri n- "i 'iio /-I 1 by Oeiierid 

one from every State Society, together with the Secretary-General, on Societi/ to re- 

dissolved societies in Connecticut and Virginia, with power to provision- ®"'^ t.'','"'' 

ally reorganize the same, subject to the direction and final action of the Socktirn 

General Society. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Boston, PromMiuiat 
Mass.. 14th June, 1S93, this committee made report upon Connecticut j-,i Connccti- 

and was continued as to Virginia until the next Triennial meeting. cut cumtitn - 

'^ '^ ted. 

The Connecticut State Society was, by vote of the General Society, 
14th June, 1S93, provisionally reorganized upon cxpre.?.^ conditions 
which should be binding until the final action of the General Society 
thereon at the Triennial meeting of May, 1896. 

G7 



ConditioiiJt 
imposed on 
Pmcuiimiil 
rganizittioii 
ill Conn. 



Connecticut 
admitted. 



Ihe express conditions iipuii wiiicli tlii^. ()i-'^;uii/.;itinii was in-uvi- 
sioiially received were : 

" First — That no part of tlie funds of this Soeictv iior the income 
''thereof shall be exix'uded until after the Triennial ujeeting of the 
■■' General Societv in 1S96. 

■•' Second — Tliat the By-J.aws in regard to the admission of mem- 
" bers shall be identical with those of the Massachusetts Slate Society 
" of the Cincinnati, except as hereinafter provided. 

" Third — That no person shall be admitted to hereditary member- 
" ship without the payment of at least $150 — and this rule shall not 
"be changed until after the Triennial meeting of the General Society 
" in 180n. 

" Fourth — That until after the 'J'riennial meeting of the General 
" Society in 1890, there shall be no admissions contrary to the condi- 
" tions provided in paragraph ' second ' without the consent of the 
" Standing Executive Committee." 

M the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City 
of Philadelphia, 13th May, 1896, upon rejjort and recommendation of 
the Standing Executive Committee, which was unanimously approved, 
the Provisional Organization of the Society of the Cincinnati in the 
State of Connecticut was, upon a unanimous vote, by States, " recog- 
" nized and the Pepresentation thereof duly admitted as members of 
" this body." 

In this report was embodied as a^condition of admission, '" that 
" thereafter the funds of the Society shall be held as a sacred trust for 
'■ the usual purposes and objects of the Cincinnati." 



Pi-orinional 
orfjdnization 
of I'iir/inia 
&icie>i/ con- 
stituted. 



At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City 
of Philadelphia, 13th May, 1896, the Standing Executive Committee 
made report upon the subject of the revival of the Society of the Cincin- 
nati in the State of Virginia, whereupon that State Society was, upon 
unanimous vote, by States, provisionally reorganized i;pon express 
conditions which should be binding until the final action of the General 
Society thereon at the Triennial meeting of May, 1899, and its Repre- 
sentation was at the same time duly accepted and received as the Repre- 
sentation of that Society in that General meeting, upon formal acqui- 
escence in the terms of the report. 



68 



U'lic express conditions were praclicallx' the same as in the case of 
('( luiecticut. 

At tiie Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City 
of New York, 10th May, 1899, on rejjort and recommendation of the 
Standing Ex(>cntive Committee concerning the provisional Virginia 
State Society, it was unanimously 

" Besolced, That the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Virginia 
'' Virginia having complied with all the reqtiirements as laid down by ^"'"*' <'''• 
" tlie General Society at their last Triennial General meeting, oiight 
■' to be considered as fully revived and accepted as a component f)art 
'■ of this Institution." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City Provisional 
of Jfew York, lltli May, 1899, the Standing Executive Committee J-'^S'"'''"" 
made report upon the claims of certain applicants desirous of reviving Sarnjuhire 

J ^octiKity co7t'~ 

the Society of the Cincinnati in tlie State of New Hampshire, then sUiuted. 
extinct, whereupon, by nnaniuKJus vote, by States, it was 

" Uesolved, That tlie following-named applicants are found to be 
"' eligible and worthy to revive the Society of the Cincinnati in the State 
" of New Hampshire and to have severallj' made the required contribution 
■' of $150 apiece to the Permanent Fund. 

" llcsolred. That these applicants be and hereby are autliorizeil to form 
" a Provisional Organization in said State, which Organization shall for 
" the next three years and until further action by the General Society, be 
"governed strictly by the rules as to eligibility to membership of the 
" Society of the Cincinnati of the State of Massachusetts. 

" Resolved, That the General Society reserves the right to determine 
'• definitelj- at the next Triennial General Meeting or as soon thereafter as 
" the subject can be reached, whether or not said Provisional Organization 
" so constituted shall be revived and accepted as a State Society entitled 
" to recognition and Representation in this bod}-. 

" Rpsolred, That the Representation of said Provisional Organization 
" among those whose names arc hereinafter given, be accorded the privileges 
" of the floor at this meeting, but without any right to participate in the pro- 
" ceedings. 

" Uesolved, That any claims of present applicants not embraced in those 
" hereinafter mentioned, shall be referred to the Standing Executive Com- 
"' niittee for its consideration and final determination, nothing herein con- 
'■ tained to be construed as affecting the rights of said claimants, but this 
"action being taken because it is deemed proper to have further evidence 
" as to the same. 

" Resolved, That, as to the Honorary Members named by said applicants 
" respectively or hereafter elected within the period named, the same be 
" referred to the Standing Executive Committee with power to determine 
"whether the said Honorary Members fulfill the rules of said Society of 

69 



Prociidonal 
Asmciations 
ill Di'lairare 
and Noiih 
Carolina ap- 
jwar to pre- 
sent r/ainiK. 



Provisional 
Organization 
in Delaware, 
unci North 
Carolina 
postponed. 



'■ tlic (iiu-imiati in the State of -Massacliusetts, in wliioh case they shall be 
" recognized as Honorary Members. 

" In case, however, the Standing Executive Committee decides adversely, 
■■ then said Provisional Organization will be accepted only on the express 
" condition that said named Honorary- Member or members shall not form 
"a part of said Organization as a State Society of the Cincinnati." 

It was also rated, that tlio Ke])roseutation present iwnn the State 
of Xew Ilampsliire " be bnmght into the iiieetiug and have the resoln- 
" tions reail to them for tlieir coneurreiiee, and that they be then 
" accorded the privileges of tlie floor, aeoording to the terms of the 
" resolve jnst adopted in relation thereto." 

The Xew Hampshire liepresentation then appeared and acceded 
to the terms of the resolntion. 

At the Ti'iennial meeting of th(> (leneral Society held in the City 
of Philad(d|)hia. l-'^.lh Ma\', IMMi, a niution was a<lojiled 

"that the privileges of the floor be extended at this Triennial Meeting to 
" the representatives of certain provisionally organized Associations in 
" North Carolina and l-)elaware, witliout the right to vote or take part in 
'■ the proceedings, and that if during the next three years either or both 
" of these Organizations shall satisfy the Standing Executive Committee 
■' of the right to membership by descent from Original Members of the 
■' respective Original Societies, of the members proposed by the respective 
" Organizations, ami if said Organizations shall have formally adopted 
•■ bydaws and rules in regard to the admission of members which shall 
'' be identical with those of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of 
■'Massachusetts, that then, upon report in their favor of the Standing 
" Executive Conunittee, they or either of them be admitted at the dis- 
" eretion of the General Society, at the next Triennial Meeting in 1899. 
'■ Nothing contained in said by-laws and rules shall confer any rights upon 
" any Honorary Member which shall extend beyond his lifetime, and that 
" said Organizations shall first provide that said bydaws and rules shall 
"not be amended within three years from the date of their formal admis- 
•' sion." 

Thi.s action of the General Society was taken in advance of any 
consideration of the claims of the respective a]>plicants in Delaware and 
Xorth Carolina to constitnte respecti\'ely a Pi'ovisiunal ( )i-ganizatiiin 
in revival of a former State Society. 

Later at the same meeting the Standing Executive Committee 
made report, which was nnaninmnsly aceepted and approved by vote, 
by States, that 

" the Committee had Iiad before them the representatives of certain Pro- 
" visionally organized Associations in Delaware and North Carolina, who 
" desire to revive the extinct .State Societies of Cincinnati in those State.', 



70 



'•and that the Comiiiittee had most attentively oonsidevcd their elaims, 
■• but, that in tlie time allowed, the Committee had not been able to give 
"the subject that consideration which its importance deserved; that as 
•• any action l)y the General Society in the premises wovdd have an import- 
•' ant influence on the future welfare of the Society at large, the Counnittee 
" request that the whole matter be recommitted to it for its consideration 
"and action, under the several resolutions of the General Society liereto- 
" fore promulgated concerning the revival of dissolved State Societies, 
•• and that report be made to the General Society at its next stated meeting." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the Citv ^~^^^ 

of Xew York, llth Mav, 1899, the Standing Executive Committee in- N-orth 

" ,. , 1 a ■ t +• +1 Carolina 

made report upon the applications from the proposed bociety oi tne constUuUd. 

Cincinnati in the State of Xorth Carolina, which had practically dis- 
solved after tlio annual meeting of 4th July, 1791. 

Upon recommendation of the Standing Executive Committee, the 
resolves unaniuKiusly adopted in this hehalf hy vote, by States, were 
identical witli tliose in the ease of iS^ew Hampshire, and the privileges 
of the floor were accorded in like manner to the Representation from 
North Carolina who appeared and acceded to the resolutions. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City P]^^^ 

of Xew York llth ]\Iav, 1899, the Standing Executive Conmiittee i„.'Delaware 
' ' . ,. • ii c • + ^-f Constituted. 

reported upon the claims of certain applicants to revive the Society oi 

the Cincinnati in the State of Delaware, which had dissolved after its 

last recorded meeting of 22d February, 1800. 

Upon recommendation of the Standing Executive Committee the 
resolves unaniuKmsly adopted in this hidialf hy vote, by States, were 
identical with those just recited in the case of New Hampshire, and the 
privileges of the floor were accorded in like manner to the Repre- 
sentation from Delaware, who appeared and acceded to the resolutions. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Hartford, Mw Eamp- 
Conn., 17th June, 1902, upon report and recommendation of the Stand- la^aiued. 
ing Executive Committee, it was, by unanimous vote, by States, 

•■ l{rsohril. That the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New 
"Hampshire having complied with all the requirements laid down by the 
•' General Society at the last Triennial General Meeting, ought to be con- 
" sidered as fully revived and accepted as a component part of tliis Institu- 
" tion." 

Announcement was then formally made by the Presiding Officer 
"that the Society of Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire is 
accordingly accepted as a comi)onent part of this Institution. 

71 



The credentials frtmi the Representation from that State Soeietv 
were then siibniitteil and. Ijeing found reguhir and tiled, a coniinittee was 
apjwinted by the Presiding Officer to introduce such Representation, 
and they were accordingly formally presented and then escorted to their 
seats. 



Delaware 
admitted. 



Upon report and recommendationof the Standing Exectitive C'oni- 
mittee, then made at the same session, an identical resolve, as in the case 
of New Hampshire, was then unanimously adojated, in like manner, as 
to the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Delaware, and the same 
procedure taken in accepting anil inducting the Eepresentatiim tVuni 
that State Society. 



Norlli Citi-d- 
liini iidmitted 



Georyia raxe, 
proofs not 
sidimitted. 



ProrixkiiKil 
Organkuthii 
of Oeoryia 
SociHy coiiKti- 
tuttd. 



Upon repiirt and reconnnendation of llie Standing K.\eenti\c ('oni- 
mittee, then made at the same session, an identical resolve, as in the case 
of New Hampshire, was then unanimously adopted, in like manner, as 
to the Society of the Cincinnati in the State nf Xorth Carolina, and the 
same procedure taken in accepting and inducting the Representatiun 
from that State Society. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in the City 
of New York, 11th May, 1S!)9, the Standing E.xecutive Conunilt'^e 
reported " that in the case of applicants from the State of Georgia the 
" Committee had not lieen furnished with the necessary proofs as to the 
" proposed membership, and requested that they be granted further 
" time in which to make a report in this behalf," which request was 
unanimously acceded to. 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Hartfnrd, 
Conn., 17th June, 1902, the Standing Executive Committee made rej^ort 
concerning the pending application to revive the Society of the Cin- 
cinnati in the State of Georgia, and recommended the adoption of the 
folli iwing resolutions : 

" Resolved, That these applicants be and heiehy are authorized to form 
" a Proxisiiiiial Organization in said State, wliioh Organization shall, for 
"the next Ihrec years and until further aetion by tlie General Society, be 
" governed strictly by the Rules as to eligibility to membership of tlie 
"■ Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Massachusetts. 

■■ Resolcrd. That the General Society reserves tlie right to determine 
" definitely, at the next Triennial fleeting, or as soon thereafter as the 
" subject can be renclicd. whether en- not said Provisional Organization shall 
" be revived and accepted as a State Society entitled to recognition and 
'" representation in this Body. 



72 



" Resohed, That the Kcpri'M-ntatioii of said Provisional Organization, 
•■ among those whose names are hereinbefore given, be accorded the privileges 
'• of the floor at this Electing, but without any right to jiarticlpate in the 
" proceedings. 

"Resoh-ed, That any claims of future applicants sliall be referred to 
" the Standing Executive Committee for its consideration and final deter- 
" nihiation. 

•• Resolved, That as to the Honorary Members hereafter elected within 
"the period named, the same be referred to the Standing Executive Com- 
" mittee, with power to determine whether the said Honorary Members 
" fulfil! the rules of said Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Mas- 
" sachusetts, in whicli ease they shall be recognized as Honorary Members. 
"In case, however, the Standing Executive Committee decide adversely, 
"then said Provisional Organization will be accepted only on the express 
"condition that said named Honorary Jleuiber or Members shall iiot form 
■• a part of said Organization as a State Society of the Cincinnati." 

'riio report and resolves were, on vnotiou, unaniniDiisly accepted and 
ordered to lie over for further consideration. 

Later, <.n the same day, tlie General Society, on niidinu made to 
adopt tliese resolves, an amendment was offered to sin-h motion, l.nt 
instead thereof the following substitnte was liy vote a(hipted: 

" Resolved, That the matter of the recognition of the Society of the Standiny 
■■ Cincinnati in the State of Georgia as a member of (his Institution be ^^j^^^ 
•' referred to the Standing Executive Committee with power and dn-ection ^^^fj^^^.^^^ 
" that, when satisfied that the Provisional Organization of the Society of ^^ admit 
" tlie Cincinnati in the State of Georgia has accepted all the conditions Oeorgia. 
•• set forth in the pending resolutions submitted by the Standing Executive 
"Committee in the report made by the Standing Executive Committee. 
" that it recognize the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Georgia 

•' " as a member of this Institution, and that upon the certificate of the 

■■ Standing Executive Committee to that effect, the said Society of the Cin- 
•■ cinnati hi the State of Georgia be and become, ipso farh,. a member of this 

' '■ Institution." 

The resohitions recommended by the Standing Executive Com- 
mittee concerning the revival of the Society of the Cincinnati in the 
State of Georgia, as modified by the substitute wdiicb ilevolved on the 
Standing Executive Committee the authority which their proposed 
.resolutions otherwise contemplated to be exercised by the General 
Society at a later day, were then, by unanimous vote by States, adopted. 

At the duly called meeting of the Standing Executive Committee Georgia 
held in the City of [N'ew York, 18th October, 1902, evidences were duly 
submitted whereby it appeared that tlie conditions ])rescril)ed at the 
Triennial meeting of the General Society held at Hartford, Conn., 

73 



ITfh .Imic, l!M)i\ li;iil liccu t'ullv ciiinjilicd with, ami it was thereujwn 
iiiiaiiiniiiiisly 

" h'n-dlml. That tlie Society of tlit' ( 'inciiuinti in tlic State of Georgia 
" lie ami the same is liereby repogiiize<l as a iiiembfi' of the Institution of 
" tlie t'ineiunati and that the Chairnian of the Stauilinj,' Executive Cora- 
■■ mittee be and is liereby requested to issue to the Society of the Cincinnati 
■■ in the State of Georgia the certificate provided for in the resolution 
" adopted at the above mentioned Triennial meeting." 

The designated certificate was accordingly issued on the same day. 

^''"If'f /''''^ At the Triennial meeting of the General Society hcdd in Hartford, 

ttuin^Ht r una ^ . ' 

to ht: restored. Conn., the following resolutions concerning the Permanent Fund of the 
Society of the Cincinnati, in the State id' (Jeorgia, were unanimously 
adopted, viz. : 

•• Whereas, The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Georgia is 
" in process of being revived : and 

■' Whereas, The funds of the original Society in said State of Georgia 
" were paid over to the Gieneral Society of the Cincinnati many years since 
" from the United States Treasui-y wlicn not bearing interest, under a bond 
" of indemnity ; and 

■■ Whereas, The said fund was the sum of sixteen lutndrcd and nincty- 
•' two 91/100 dollars; 

" Be it Resolced, That the sum of sixteen hundred and ninety-two 
"91/100 dollars shall be paid by the General Society of tlie Cincinnati to 
" the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of GJeorgia when it shall have 
" been fully revived, and that this payment shall be received by the said 
" State Society in full for all claims and demands upon the General Society 
" of the C'incinnati and the Government of the United States by the Society 
" of the Cincinnati in the State of Georgia, and that the General Society of 
" the Cincinnati recommend to the several State Societies that the said 
'• siun of sixteen hundred and ninety-two 91 .TOO dollars shall be raised by 
" an assessment on all the fully established State Societies at that time 
" in the latio which the permanent fund of each State Society as reported 
" on 17tli June, 1902, shall bear to the sum of sixteen hundred and ninety- 
" two 91/100 dollars, such assessment to be paid into the Treasury of the 
" General Society of the Cincinnati on or before the first day of May, 1905, 
" having been ascertained by the Treasurer-General and communicated by 
" him to the several State Societies, as soon as this resolution has been 
■■ ratified by all the State Societies. 

•• lie it fidtlier liesiilred. That the saiil Society of the Cincinnati in 
" the State of Georgia shall be required to ask and receive from all her- 
" editary members whom they may have elected or shall hereafter elect to 
■■ represent a praepositus nut an Original nienilier tlie sum of one hmidred 
" and fifty dollars." 

ttntVhy"'' At the duly called meeting of the Standing E.xecutive Comiuittee 

Stmidiiuj ],pi(| in the Citv of Xew York, ISth October, 1902, it was unanimously 

Extcutive 

Committee. 

74 



" Jicsolced, That \v1il-ii the installments necessary to provide the same 
" shall have been paid by the respective State Societies, the Treasurer- 
■' General be and hereby is authorized and directed to pay over to the 
'■ Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Georgia the fund provided to 
" be paid over to that Society by the resolutions adopted at the above 
■'mentioned Triennial meeting (17th June, 1902), upon the execution and 
■' delivery of an acceptance for the same and a release in full of all claims 
" and demands upon the General Society of the Cincinnati and the Govern- 
" ment of the United States jointly and severally, the form of which 
" release shall be approved by the President-General, the Seeretary-Gen- 
" eral and the Treasurer-General." 

The State Societies having paid in their pro rata assessments, the Geoiyiu 
sum of .$l(i!)L' !»1/100 was duly paid over by the Treasiiror-General to ^^"^'^ ''"''^ 
the Society of tlie Cincinnati in the State of Georgia, and the required 
fnll bond of indemnity executed -ith September, 1903, and delivered 
by that State Society to the S(}cretary-General of the Society of the 
Cincinnati. 



7.-) 



RULES AND REGULATIONS 

OF 

THE GENERAL SOCIETY 

FOR 

CONDUCTING BUSINESS. 



RukiKind At the Triennial iiieetine of the General Societv held in Phihidel- 

RequlatlonK i ■ ^ ■ i t r - - t > i "^ i i i • ■ ' i 

ftr'i- roniiuct- I'liia, 14th May. 1 i>i, " i\ulc* aud Kegidatiuns tor conduetiug the busi- 

I'faeGeT "^'"'^ "*' ^^^'^ General nicetiiig " were 8nl)Uiitted by a connuittee aud unani- 
ernl Sowtii. nmnsly agreed to. 

As snbsequentlv amended they are as follows: 

I. When the General Society shall assemble for business,' the 
members shall come to order by taking their seats, ami no one shall 
leave the room until the meeting is adjourned without jievmission from 
the President-General or Ghairman. 

II. At every General meeting, after the credentials of the 
resijective members shall have been read, the Secretary-General shall read 
the Rules and Regulations for conducting the business of the General 
meeting, as adopted ^lay, 1787, previous to any other Inisiness.- 

The Order of Business shall be to read the Journals, if any, of the 
2)receding day, then the despatches, then the reports of Committees, and 
then the Order of day, which being completed, other matters may be 
introduced. 

III. When in session members shall not speak to one another, 
but rising, shall address themselves to the President-General or Chair- 
man oidy. 

TV. All motions, except for adjourning the meeting from day to 
day. or for postponing the decision of a question, shall be made in 
writing. 

V. ISTo motion shall be debated, nor any question lie taken 
thereon, unless the same be seconded. 

1— The first portion of this rule originally read that " when seven or more States assemble 
for business." &c.. &c.. until amended by the rule adopted 5th May, 1S29, that '■ Such State 
Societies and Officers of the General Society as convene iu General Meetings shall be com- 
petent to tran.sact business." 

2— This Rule was adopted on motion of Brigadier-General, the Hon. Ebenezer Huntington, 
at the adjourned Triennial meeting of the General Society held in Philadelphia. 7th May, 1800, 

76 



VI. All questions shall U> decided by a majority of members pres- 
ent unless in the decision of all resolutions and questions submitted to 
the action of the General Society, the vote shall (upon the request of any 
delegate from a State Society, or of any officer present) be taken as 
prescribed in the Ordinance of the 7th May, 1851,^ viz. : Each Eepre- 
sentation present from a State Society shall be entitled to cast five votes; 
and each of the Officers of the General Society who shall be present shall 
be entitled to cast one vote ; and a majority of all the votes thus cast 
shall be necessary for an affirmative decision. 

.Vnd upon any question thus brought to a vote, the yeas and nays 
shall be entered on the minutes, at the desire of any three members 
present, M-hether Delegates or Officers. 

Vn. All Officers shall be appointe<l by ballot, unless a unanimous 
Cdusent be given for a rira voce vote. 

,V11 --pec-ial conuiiittees sIimII be appiiinte(l l)y ballut, unless a 
nuiji.rify deteniiine otherwise.'' 

VIII. Upon a motion for adjournment, from day to day, the 
question shall be put witlmut debate, and shall take the place of all 
other questions. 

IX. Xo member shall speak more than once until every other 
mend)er who chooses shall have spoken to the same question; nor shall 
any member speak oftener than twice in any case, unless for explana- 
tion, and then without argument. 

X. Xo member shall interrupt another while speaking, unless to 
call him to order. 

XI. All motions in M-riting shall be open to amendment previously 
to putting the main question, and motions for postponing the whole or 
any part of a question shall be first in order. 

XII. Questions of order shall be determined by the President- 
General or Chairman without debate, but an appeal may be made to the 

3— This rule, prior to the resniutinn nf 5th May, 1829. as to a quorum, and the temporary 
rule of 29th Novemi)er, 1848, and the Ordinance of 7th May. 1851. read as follows: 

■' All questions shiall be decided by a majority of State Representations present, seven 
making a quorum." 

4 — This rule originally read as follows: 

" All officers and special committees shall be appointed by ballot; but in other matters 
wherein the members are not agreed, the States shall be called, and answer by the words. 
Aye. or No." 

At the Triennial meeting of the General Society, held in Boston, 30th May, 1872. by 
uiKinimous consent a portion of the General Officers were elected by viva voce vote, and since 
then, at several Triennial meetings, a like course has been pursued. 

At the Special meeting held in Trenton, 21st May, 1856, a motion was adopted for a 
special committee, and the presiding officer was authorized to appoint it. This has since been 
frequenth/ done. 

The last clause of the original Rule, as given here, was rescinded by the Ordinance of 7tli 
May, 1851. 

77 



Meetiug in which case they shall immediately decide, after permitting 
every memljer who chooses to speak once. 

XIIT. In cases to which the jircceding rnle# do not ai)j)ly, the 
President-General or Chairninn shall eiindnct the ])roceedings accord- 
ing to his best discretion. 

XIV. At every meeting of the General Society of the Cinciimati, 
the " Principles embodied in the Original Institution of the Society 
shall he read as a part of the regular proceedings." ° 

5— This rule was adopted on motion of tlie Reverend Marinus Willett at the Triennial 
meeting of the General Society, held in Boston. Mass.. 29th May. 1872. 



78 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

The lustitiitiou of tliu CiUL-iuiiiiti of lotli May. ITSo 3 

The Ameudmeiits to the lustilutiou of lUth June, 1783 12 

The Amended and Altered Institution of Jlay, 17S4 17 

Remarks of Secretary General on Amended Institution 20 

Objects of the General Society under the Institution 22 

State Societies required to conform to the Institution and nialce Returns. ... 22 

Composition of the General Society 22 

Triennial and Special Jleetiugs, liow conveued 23 

General Oflicers, how chosen 23 

Term of oflice of General Officers 23 

Inaliility of Genera! Officer to serve — Office, how filled temporarily 24 

General Office when vacant, how tilled 2G 

Chaplains to General Society 2.5 

Number of Delegates appointed by State Societies, and mode of examining 

credentials 25 

Result of these precedents. 1. Credentials, how examined 29 

II. Authorized number of Delegates and status 

of Alternates 29 

Ordinance thereon 29 

Delegates to General Meetings, when chosen 30 

Term of Service of State Society Kepresentation 30 

Quorum for business at any General Meeting 30 

Manuer of voting in General Society 31 

1784, 1787, 1848. 

Ordinance thereon 1851 31 

Exception thereto 1872 32 

Ordinance thereon of 1887 as to voting in two capacities 32 

Privileges of the Floor, how limited 32 

The Pi-esident General ex-ofjicio member of all committees 33 

Funds of the General Society, where, and how kept 33 

Investments of Funds of the Genei-al Society . 34 

Expenses of General Meetings, how defrayed 34 

Standing Regulation thereon 35 

Expenses of General Officers, how paid 35 

Expenses of the Secretary General 35 

Auditing Conunittee t ' 3(5 

Minutes of General Society meetings 36 

Mover of a motion ; 36 

Designation of Members in the proceedings 36 

Record of election of General Olficers, how kept 36 

Dimensions of Printed Publications of the General Society and State 

Societies 36 



79 



PAliK 

PublifiUioiis of General Society Kules. OnliiiMiices, Ortieers and lists of 

Members in State Societies 37 

rublieation of General Society proceedings 38 

Preservation of Signatures to Institution of Original Members 38 

Decease of (Jeneral Officers and Deleirates, Ac. in General Society, liow 

I)ul)lisbed 38 

IMplouias of Membersliiii. liow Issued 38 

Form of settled upon. 178-1. and practice tliereiuider 38 

Unissued Diplomas for Foreign Members, bow autbenticiteil 39 

Issuatice aucborized. metbod prescribed 39 

Standing. Regulation tbereon 39 

Kmploynient of Stenograpber. iV-c. iind Preservation of Arcliives 40 

Official medium of Comnuuiication of Genera! Society 41 

Acts of Incorporation for tbe State Societies 41 

Keturns and Reports by State Societies 41 

Reports of Funds and Beneficiaries by State Societies 42 

i;e]ifirts of State Society Secretaries of decease of Members 42 

Duty of State Society Secretaries on rejected applications for memliersbip. . . 42 

Reception of a State Society 42 

Order of tbe Society, bow worn 43 

Order to be worn at General Six'iety Meetings 43 

Further Regulation tbereon 43 

Order of tbe Cincinnati an heirloom 44 

Fabrication and issuance of the Order 44 

Standard Die for tbe Order established 45 

The I'ri'siib'iit Geueral'-; Order — Its history 45 

The I'resident General's Order — Its custody 47 

Xo iier.rion to wear the Order except Members 47 

Seal aiul Copper Diploma-Plate 48 

Description of Seal 48 

Motto of tbe Society 49 

Standing Executive Committee — Its origin 49 

Ordinance thereon 50 

Secretary. Record, and Expenses of Standing Executive Committee 

provided for 50 

Further action of General Society as t) exjienses of Standing Executive 

Committee 51 

Preparation of Order of Business 51 

P.iograi)bical Sketches of Deceased Members of (Jeneral Society and Officers 

of :State Society 51 

" Daughters of the Cinciuuati " 52 

Nominating Committee for General Ottieers 52 

Eligibility to membership of Otficers of the Navy and Marines 53 

Remarks of General Society on necessity of iuteriu-etation of Institution.. 54 

Constructiori given by State Societies relative to Naval and Marine Officers. 54 

Service as Officers in State regiments, when counted 54 

Collateral descent defined 5'5 

Direct and collateral, which to be preferred .55 

Hereditary Membership — where to be applied for .1(i 

Foreigners may become Hereditary Members 5(i 

Permanent Fund — when subject for relief purposes f,(i 

80 



PAGE 

Proposed but non-adopted Amendments to Institution as to eligibility 6C 

Failure of ratiticatiou 57 

Original and Hereditary Membership defined; proposed alteration of 1854. . . 57 

Kejection of same as alteration to Institution 5S 

Action to enforce proposed alteration of 1854 without unanimous consent. . 58 

Rule of 1854; its scope and effect 59 

Reorganization of dissolved State Societies 59 

Action tliereon in 1811 59 

Action thereon in 1829 00 

Action thereon in 1872 02 

Action thereon in 1878 (j;j 

Action on Rhode Island Credentials of Delegates in 1878 64 

Action in 1884 as to resolve of 1829 0(i 

Action in 1890 as to resolve of 1829 0« 

Action on the French Society, 1887 07 

Revival of Dissolved Societies, how effected 07 

Provisional Organization constituted in Connecticut. '. : 67 

Conditions imposed on Provisional Organization in Connecticut 68 

Admission of revived Connecticut Society 68 

Provisional Organization constituted in Virginia 08 

Admission of revived Virginia Society 69 

Provisional Organization constituted in New Hampshire 69 

Provisional Associations in Delaware and North Carolina 70 

Admission of revived New Hampslnre Society 71 

Provisional Organizations in Delaware and North Carolina Constituted 71 

Admission of revived Delaware Society 72 

Admission of revived North Carolina Society 72 

Provisional Organization constituted in Georgia 72 

Standing E.\ecutive Committee authorized to admit Georgia 

Admission of revived Georgia Society 73 

Georgia Permanent Fund received fyom U. S.— Same to be returned 74 

Standing Executive Committee's action on same 74 

Fund paid over to Georgia and lioud given 75 

Rules and Reguhitions for conducting business of General Society 70 



81 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



I II 

011 712 685 7 



